After the attack on the Swedish embassy in Moscow, unidentified individuals used a drone to drop paint on the Russian embassy in Sweden.
Initially, a group of teenagers in Moscow threw bottles of paint at the Swedish embassy building. Shortly afterward, a retaliatory incident occurred in Stockholm: unknown perpetrators used a drone to release paint onto the premises of the Russian embassy.
In the early hours of Friday, a new incident unfolded at the center of diplomatic activity: paint was dropped on the grounds of the Russian embassy in Sweden using an unmanned drone. According to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Stockholm police promptly launched an investigation, but efforts to locate the drone, supported by a helicopter, have so far been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Russian officials claim that this event is far from isolated: since May of this year, at least ten similar acts of vandalism have been recorded.
The drone attack occurred shortly after another high-profile event: in Moscow, a group of teenagers threw bottles of paint at the Swedish embassy building. Russian law enforcement quickly detained three suspects, who, according to preliminary reports, may have carried out the act in protest against Sweden’s increased military support for Ukraine. Swedish police have stated that no connection between the two incidents has been established yet, though the similarity of tactics raises numerous questions.
The incident in Stockholm brings up a host of legal and technical issues. The Russian embassy is located near an airport, making the use of drones in the area illegal. This could elevate the case from simple vandalism to a more serious offense. Mats Eriksson, a spokesperson for the Stockholm police, said that while the investigation is ongoing, many gaps remain, including identifying the perpetrators and their motives.
The press office of the Russian embassy in Sweden expressed deep concern over the incident. Representatives of the diplomatic mission stated that they had repeatedly filed complaints with the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yet no effective measures to prevent such attacks have been implemented. “As we can see, the perpetrators continue to act with impunity,” reads the embassy’s statement.
Analysts warn that the growing use of drones in such actions may pose a new challenge for law enforcement agencies and international diplomacy.
PHOTO: STAFF | REUTERS / SCANPIX