Slovakia suddenly condemns Russian strike on Kyiv and summons ambassador
Photo: Russian attack on the Security Service building in Kyiv (Getty Images)
In Kyiv, a Russian drone attacked a Security Service building located next to the consular section of the Slovak Embassy. Bratislava strongly condemned the strike and summoned the Russian ambassador, Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanár said this, according to the Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Slovakia's reaction and the situation near the consulate
The Slovak side emphasized that, for security reasons, the premises of the consular section in the Ukrainian capital are currently being used on a limited basis. No one was inside the building during the Russian strike.
Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanár decided to respond diplomatically to the incident and summon a Russian representative.
"I ordered the Russian ambassador to the Slovak Republic to be summoned," Blanár said.
Call to both sides
In his statement, the Slovak minister condemned Russia's actions and called for security measures to be observed in a civilized manner, while also urging restraint from further actions.
"We call on Russia to refrain from actions that could endanger the lives and safety of civilians. At the same time, we appeal to both sides to avoid further escalation that increases tensions and does not contribute to a peaceful settlement of the conflict," Slovakia's foreign minister said.
Slovakia is usually fairly restrained and rarely directly condemns Russian strikes on civilian or military infrastructure in Ukraine.
Bratislava's current reaction is one of the few tough diplomatic responses to Russia's actions.
Reaction to the strike on the Security Service building in Kyiv
On September 4, Russian forces carried out another strike on the capital, hitting the Security Service of Ukraine building in central Kyiv. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the attack a serious escalation and evidence of Moscow's complete rejection of diplomacy.
At the same time, the Security Service of Ukraine warned that the response to the brazen aerial attack would be painful for the enemy.
A Russian agent may have guided the Shahed attack on the Security Service building directly from the scene using online control.
