Russian Missile Strike Damages Portuguese Embassy in Kyiv, No Casualties; Portugal Protests

Dec 20, 2024, 12:25 PM

A Russian missile strike on Kyiv damaged the Portuguese embassy, prompting a strong condemnation from Portugal and a formal protest against Russia. The attack, which occurred overnight, caused material damage to the embassy but resulted in no casualties among Portuguese staff. The Portuguese Foreign Minister, Paulo Rangel, described the damage as 'relatively minor,' affecting windows and doors. The same building houses the embassies of Argentina, Albania, and Montenegro, which were also affected by the strike. Portugal has summoned Russia's chargé d'affaires to lodge a formal protest, emphasizing the unacceptability of attacks impacting diplomatic facilities. The incident has drawn international condemnation, with the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, labeling it as another barbaric attack on civilian targets by Russia.