Earlier Monday, Russia’s ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, told Russia’s state-run Sputnik news agency that a lit bottle containing a “chemical composition” was thrown at the embassy grounds early on the morning of Sept. 12, but it was not. turn on. There was no damage and no one at the embassy was injured, he said. On Monday afternoon, the RCMP confirmed to CBC News that an investigation had been launched and that officers had gone to the embassy to get more information. Earlier in the day, Ottawa police said they were unaware of the incident. The embassy told CBC News it considered the incident an “attempted act of terrorism” and said it was in contact with Global Affairs Canada. The embassy provided CBC News with two videos of the alleged incident. Russia’s foreign ministry said it had also summoned Canada’s ambassador to protest the attack. WATCHES | The video shows a Molotov cocktail being thrown over a fence, the embassy says:
The video allegedly shows a Molotov cocktail thrown at the Russian embassy
The Russian embassy in Ottawa released surveillance video on Monday showing an unidentified assailant threw an incendiary projectile into the embassy compound. In a Russian-language statement Monday afternoon, the ministry claimed that police in Ottawa had turned a blind eye to “aggressive protesters” blocking public access to the embassy’s consular section, saying police witnessed an incident but did not intervene. The ministry also said authorities did not do enough to deter or detain those who commit “hostile acts” against its diplomatic staff in what it called a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Stepanov also said the embassy should have a permanent police presence, Sputnik reported. In a statement, the RCMP said it is “continually adapting its protective posture to the current threat environment in order to ensure an adequate level of protection is in place at the Russian Embassy.” Adrien Blanchard, press secretary to Mélanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, said “violence and vandalism are not acceptable” and that they would continue to closely monitor any news about the incidents. Meanwhile, a CBC reporter visited the embassy on Monday and saw no obvious signs of vandalism or damage. In a show of solidarity and support for Ukraine and its people, the city of Ottawa in March placed signs reading “Free-Libre Ukraine” along Charlotte Street in the Sandy Hill neighborhood — right in front of the embassy. Street signs reading “Free-Libre Ukraine” are seen on Charlotte Street in Ottawa on Monday, near the embassy. (Rachelle Elsiufi/CBC)
