STA, 1 March 2022 - The Slovenian Foreign Ministry said that the building housing the Slovenian consulate in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv had been destroyed in Tuesday's attack by the Russian army, condemning the act as well as Russia's aggression on Ukraine as such. Consulate employees were not injured.
"We have been informed that the consulate of the Republic of Slovenia in Ukraine has been destroyed in one of the military attacks on the city of Kharkiv. We condemn this outrageous act of the Russian Federation and the aggression against Ukraine," the ministry said.
Prime Minister Janez Janša also responded to the news, saying on Twitter that "we experienced the same approach from Yugoslav communist army 30 years ago. It didn't work, Mr. Putin. Neither will today in Ukraine. You can't defeat united and brave nation."
Žal smo bili obveščeni, da je bil v enem izmed vojaških napadov na mesto Harkov uničen tudi konzulat Republike Slovenije ?? v Ukrajini ??. Obsojamo to nezaslišno dejanje Ruske federacije in agresijo nad Ukrajino.
— MFA Slovenia (@MZZRS) March 1, 2022
#WeStandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/ncSlXIPOFE
Janša also said that "we are examining the agreements signed with the Russian Federation and we will terminate all those related to the defence, security and political spheres of cooperation."
"Much of the world is doing the same. We call on the Russian people to choose a leader who will not endanger their neighbours and the world," the prime minister added.
Defence Minister said that the attack was an "inadmissible act of aggression that only shows how uncompromising the Russian attack on Ukraine is."
Opposition Social Democrats (SD) president and MEP Tanja Fajon also responded on Twitter, strongly condemning the "continuation of Putin's barbaric aggression against Ukraine! Unheard of."
Staff at the consulate, which is headed by Consul General Anatoliy Bondarenko, were not injured in the attack.
This comes after the head of the EU delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas noted the attack on Twitter, saying that "the Slovenian Consulate in Kharkiv was destroyed as a 'collateral diplomatic damage' as well."
The consulate is located in Freedom Square, which was the target of a Russian missile attack today that killed at least ten people and injured 35, according to the BBC.
