Reinforced protection for Ukraine’s embassy in Lisbon after explosive letters | Internal security
The Portuguese authorities strengthened the protection of the Ukrainian embassy in Lisbon and admitted to reassessing the level of threat in Portugal, after trap letters were received by entities in Spain, announced this Friday the Internal Security System (SSI).
In response to a request for clarification from Lusa, following the news of receipt of at least six letters booby-trapped in Spain, the SSI confirmed that the Antiterrorism Coordination Unit (UCAT), which operates within the framework of the Internal Security System, “is closely monitoring the situation” and that it is in “close articulation with its Spanish, European and international partners”.
“If, as a result of this cooperation with Spain and international partners, and our internal analysis, a reassessment of the degree of threat and security is justified, it will be taken immediately by the competent authorities as corresponding and alert measures and security device”, he also added. the office of the general secretary of the SSI, Paulo Vizeu Pinheiro.
The UCAT brings together the Security Information Service (which assesses the degree of threat in national territory), the Judiciary Police (which has the competence to investigate terrorism), the PSP (which protects diplomatic facilities and “preventively reinforced the protection of the Ukrainian Embassy in Lisbon”), the GNR, the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), the Maritime Police and the Strategic and Defense Intelligence Service (SIED).
The SSI also assured that all these entities are “working in an articulated and permanent way” with international partners, in particular with the Spanish counterparts of the SIS and the PJ.
On Wednesday, a man was seriously injured. at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid due to the explosion of an artifact that was inside an envelope. Since then, it has been revealed by the Spanish authorities the existence of five more letters with explosives, the last of which in the US embassy on Spanish soil.
According to the Spanish Government’s Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez, the other envelopes with explosives intercepted in the last week were sent to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, a satellite center and an arms company.
O envelope sent to the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, was intercepted last week, on November 24, and the rest were identified between Wednesday and Thursday.
The Spanish Minister of Internal Administration, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, recommended the European Commission and partner countries to take measures if they receive booby-trapped letters similar to those sent to various entities in Spain, admitting that they may be related to the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, revealed to Lusa that indications were given to the Portuguese embassies to reinforce care in receiving mail, noting that the national diplomatic missions “are attentive”.