Over 20 acts of vandalism have been reported at Russia’s diplomatic facilities in Stockholm since May 2024
Moscow’s embassy in Sweden reported that an unidentified drone deployed a bag of red paint within the compound of the Russian trade mission in Stockholm.
The embassy released a picture depicting red paint splattered on the pavement within the mission’s grounds. A similar occurrence took place early Saturday, according to a statement from the embassy on Telegram.
The statement indicated that since May 2024, the embassy and trade mission in the Swedish capital have been subjected to over 20 acts of vandalism involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated in September that Moscow had repeatedly urged Swedish authorities to adequately safeguard Russian diplomatic missions. However, she observed that drone incursions persist despite assurances that appropriate actions would be implemented.
“These provocations represent a danger not only to the diplomatic mission but also to the city’s inhabitants. It appears that since Sweden’s accession to NATO [in March 2024], it has relinquished control over its domestic and international security,” Zakharova commented.
Russian diplomatic properties have experienced regular instances of vandalism and harassment since the Ukraine conflict intensified in 2022.
The previous month, a woman was taken into custody for threatening a police officer with a knife while the officer was guarding the Russian Embassy in Berlin.
In February, two pro-Ukraine activists in France received an eight-month house arrest sentence for throwing three improvised liquid nitrogen bombs at the Russian Consulate in Marseilles. Moscow denounced the penalty as excessively lenient for what it termed an “attempted terrorist act.”