The Embassy of the United States of America in Madrid received a letter similar to five trap letters sent to the Embassy of Ukraine in Spain and elsewhere in the country, TV channel La Sexta reported on Thursday, quoted by Reuters, News.ro reported.

An investigation is underway. The road in front of the embassy in the Spanish capital is blocked, the police are on the scene.

According to CNN, the suspicious envelope arrived around 12:30 local time at the embassy security post. A special protocol is activated for these cases.

It would be the sixth letter bomb known in Spain, after an employee of the Spanish embassy in Madrid was injured when he discovered such an improvised explosive device on Wednesday.

Earlier on Thursday, intelligence experts neutralized a fifth trap letter sent to the European Union’s satellite center near Madrid.

Spain has stepped up security after such bombs were sent to important targets, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. His office allegedly received a trap letter on November 24.

Trap letters were sent from Spain

The first signs indicate that all five previous trap letters were sent from Spain, the country’s deputy minister of internal affairs told reporters. Rafael Perez said the improvised devices were sent in brown envelopes/packages that contained flammable powder and a trigger wire that could cause a flame rather than an explosion.

One of the devices detonated, injuring a security officer at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid, three others were detonated by security forces in controlled explosions, and one remained intact for investigation by investigators.

“It seems that they were all sent from the country, but we rely on the first visual checks, but we do not yet have a detailed technical report,” the Spanish official said.

Peres said it does not yet appear necessary to convene the Security Committee to assess the feasibility of raising the terrorist threat level in Spain, given that the country is already at the second highest level of danger after recent Islamist attacks in Europe. years 10 years

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that, despite this, it had ordered police to increase security at public buildings and, in particular, to scrutinize mail.

A source close to the investigation said that while the devices were homemade, “nobody could have made them” and investigators are now trying to trace the origin of their contents.

According to a court source, Spain’s Supreme Court, which specializes in terrorism, has opened an investigation.

Security has been increased in Kyiv’s embassies abroad

The first information about the trap letters appeared at noon on Wednesday, after police said that a guard at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid received minor injuries after opening such a package. Ambassador Serhiy Pogoreltsev told the Ukrainian European website “Pravda” that the suspicious package addressed to him was handed over to the Ukrainian head of the embassy, ​​who took it outside to open it.

“Having opened the box and heard a click, he threw it away, and then heard an explosion… the commander injured his hands, he has a concussion,” Pogoreltev said. “We have instructions from the Ministry of Ukraine that, given the situation, we should be ready for any incidents… of Russian activities outside the country,” the ambassador told the Spanish TVE channel.

After the incident, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, ordered all Kyiv embassies abroad to “urgently” increase security.

On Thursday, the Russian embassy in Spain posted a statement on Twitter condemning “any terrorist threat or act, especially directed against a diplomatic mission.”

Serial letters about booby traps

Another package was received Wednesday evening at the headquarters of Spanish arms manufacturer Instalaza in Zaragoza, northeastern Spain. The plant manufactures the S90 missile launcher that Spain supplied to Ukraine.

Spanish security forces also found the device late Thursday in an envelope sent to the European Union’s satellite center located at an air base in Torrejon de Ardos near Madrid, the defense ministry said. The satellite center supports the EU’s common foreign and security policy by collecting information from space devices. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell recently called the center part of the “eyes of Europe”.

Spain’s Interior Ministry said on Thursday morning that an “envelope containing pyrotechnic materials” addressed to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had been received on November 24 and neutralized by his security team. The device was “similar” to packages discovered this week, the ministry said.

A fifth device was received by Spain’s Ministry of Defense on Thursday morning and neutralized by specialized police officers, a spokesman told Reuters.