Eduardo González
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares strongly condemned on Friday the Russian attack on the headquarters of the Ukrainian Security Service (SSU) in Kyiv, which coincided with the presentation of credentials by the new Spanish ambassador, Adela Díaz Bernárdez, to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I strongly condemn the Russian attack on the Security Service headquarters in Kyiv, near St. Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” Albares posted on social media. “This attack is an unacceptable escalation. It is an attack against civilians, heritage, and peace,” he warned.
He added that the attack “occurred during the presentation of credentials by the Spanish ambassador to Zelensky.” “All my support goes to the ambassador and the team at the Spanish Embassy in Kyiv, who are doing a great job under very difficult conditions,” he stated. “Diplomacy and law are stronger than aggression,” he concluded.
For his part, Zelensky denounced via social media the “impact of a Russian drone on the SSU headquarters building on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, opposite St. Sophia Cathedral.” “The drone was directed straight at the office of the head of the SSU in this building,” he specified. “I have spoken with the head of the SSU, Oleksandr Poklad,” whom he asked to “respond to the Russians appropriately,” he announced. “Our military will support this response,” he assured.
Zelensky himself received the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, and the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, in Kyiv on Thursday, where they signed several memoranda with Zaporizhzhia, the Dnipro region, and Lviv. “During war, regional cooperation and direct support to communities are very important,” the Ukrainian president affirmed.
On July 28, the Council of Ministers appointed Adela Díaz Bernárdez as Spain’s ambassador to Ukraine, replacing Ricardo López-Aranda. Until then, Díaz Bernárdez served as deputy head of the Permanent Representation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels.