A 39-year-old man has been charged after driving an SUV into the gates of the Russian consulate in Sydney on Monday morning, Australian police confirmed. The incident occurred at around 8 a.m. in the eastern suburb of Woollahra.
Police were initially called after reports of an unauthorized vehicle parked in the driveway of the consulate. When officers attempted to speak with the driver, he accelerated and crashed the Toyota Kluger into the gates. The SUV came to rest on the lawn near a flagpole inside the grounds.
Two police officers sustained minor injuries during the encounter and were treated by paramedics at the scene. No consulate staff or other civilians were injured. The vehicle was towed away approximately two hours later.
The driver was arrested immediately and has been charged with damaging property, possession of a knife, and possession of an unnamed restricted substance. He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday. Authorities have not released details about his possible motives.
The Russian Embassy in Canberra confirmed in a statement that no consulate employees were harmed and that operations continued without disruption.
The unusual crash comes amid heightened global tensions with Moscow, though investigators have not indicated whether the act was politically motivated.
