A group of unidentified vandals splattered red paint on the entrance doors of Lithuania’s embassy in Moscow, the Baltic country’s foreign ministry said Monday.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said it lodged a formal protest to Russian Embassy Counsellor Andrei Gasiuk following the incident.
Videos shared by media outlets showed several red handprints on the Lithuanian embassy sign and pools of red paint underneath the two entrance doors of the diplomatic mission’s building in central Moscow.
No one claimed responsibility for the splash and dash and the motives were not immediately known, but Lithuania is a strong ally of Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Lithuania recalled its ambassador to Russia, expelled the Russian ambassador and downgraded diplomatic ties in April 2022.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said four “unidentified masked individuals” were seen vandalizing the entrance to the embassy as Russian police officers guarding the building looked on without intervening.
Vilnius accused Moscow of failing to prevent damage to the embassy in violation of diplomatic rules.
The incident in Moscow comes after an arson attack on the Russian Embassy in Vilnius in April. A Lithuanian citizen was arrested on charges of property damage, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
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