MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/: The Russian Foreign Ministry condemns the April 30 armed attack on the Cuban embassy in Washington, which took place against the backdrop of continuous negative rhetoric targeting the island nation’s government, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"We are indignant over the April 30 armed assault on the Republic of Cuba’s embassy in Washington," the ministry said. "It is evident that this crime was committed in the environment of threats against the Cuban government, systematically fuelled in the US even amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. No wonder the US media portrayed the attacker almost as a victim of the ‘Cuban regime,’ although it is obvious that he had committed a criminal act."
The ministry said that it expected the US to thoroughly investigate the incident, as, in line with the international law, every country is obliged to ensure the security of diplomatic missions on its territory.
An armed suspect was reported to open fire on a building of the Cuban Embassy in the US capital of Washington DC on early Thursday. No casualties were reported as the result of the incident; however, the building of the Cuban diplomatic mission sustained damages.
According to earlier police reports, an off-road vehicle with a white mask and the national flag of America inside was spotted being parked outside the building of the Cuban Embassy.
A source in the police forces of Washington DC told TASS earlier that a suspected gunman had been already detained and was identified as a 42-year-old resident of the State of Texas. The suspect in custody is charged with assault with intent to kill.
Later, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla described the incident as a terrorist act. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel called upon the United States to honor its commitment to ensure the safety of the diplomatic mission.
The Cuban Embassy in the United States was reopened in 2015 following the resumption of bilateral relations under the presidency of Barack Obama.
