Russia-Ukraine war: Suspicious packages sent to Ukrainian embassies came from Germany, says Ukraine FM

Ukraine’s foreign minister said some suspicious packages that were sent to Ukrainian embassies all came from a German address. The country’s top diplomat noted that the parcels were sent from post offices that had no video surveillance.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that a series of packages sent to Ukrainian embassies all had the address of a Tesla dealership in Germany. In a post on Facebook, Kuleba said that 31 Ukrainian missions in 15 countries received one of the suspicious packages, describing the move as a “campaign of terror against Ukrainian diplomats.”

“All the envelopes have the same sender address: the Tesla car dealership in the German town of Sindelfingen. Usually, the shipment was made from post offices that were not equipped with video surveillance,” wrote Kuleba. “Criminals also took measures not to leave traces of their DNA on the packages. This, in particular, indicates the professional level of implementation.”

This follows Kyiv’s claim last week that “bloody packages” that contained animal eyes were sent to some of its missions in Europe. The packages came shortly after a letter bomb detonated in the Ukrainian embassy in Spain, with the police defusing others that were sent to the Spanish prime minister, among other potential targets.

On the same day, Time Magazine named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2022. Zelenskyy was chosen for his leadership of his country amidst Russia’s invasion in February.

Time Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal cited Zelenskyy’s decision to stay in Ukraine rather than be flown out in the midst of the war as “the most clear cut in memory.”

The Ukrainian embassy in the United Kingdom back on February 26, two days after Russia invaded Ukraine, said on Twitter that Zelenskyy turned down the offer by the United States to evacuate Kyiv.

“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelenskyy was quoted as saying, his response becoming a famous motto.

“His information offensive shifted the geopolitical weather system, setting off a wave of action that swept the globe,” said Felsenthal. “Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, Volodymyr Zelenskyy galvanized the world in a way we haven’t seen in decades.”