Man drives car through gates of russian consulate in Australia

A man in a white SUV crashed through the gates of the consulate general of the russian federation in Sydney's east on September 1. Police are investigating.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported this.

At 8 am, New South Wales Police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle, a white SUV, parked in the driveway of a building on Fullerton Street in Woollahra.

According to media reports, officers attempted to speak to the driver, a 39-year-old man, at the scene, but he allegedly rammed the gates and drove into the area. As a result, the passenger and driver's side windows were damaged. It is alleged that police used batons to get into the vehicle.

In a video taken by a bystander, officers can be heard shouting at the driver to "get out of the car" and "get on the ground." The man was arrested and taken to Surry Hills police station.

The 24-year-old police officer suffered an injury to his hand and was treated by paramedics.

Meanwhile, russian consulate staff remained inside the building.

A local resident told media that he heard "a commotion" in the early hours of the morning.

"I went outside and saw a police officer with a gun, his Glock pointed at the man in the car, asking him to get out of the car. He didn't get out of the car, he rammed the gate, drove into the area and stopped again," he said.

The car was towed from the consulate by mid-morning. Police said an investigation was ongoing, and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said its Diplomatic Protection Unit (DPU) was also involved.

"A member of the AFP DPU assisted in the arrest of a 39-year-old man after he allegedly drove his car onto the consulate grounds," a police spokesman said.

It is indicated that state police are conducting a criminal investigation. There is currently no threat to the consulate or the local community.

According to 9News, the car was thoroughly searched and found safe, after which it was loaded onto a tow truck and taken for forensic examination.

Although the motive remains unclear, police have charged 39-year-old Reem Abraham with 10 charges, including destruction of property and using a weapon to obstruct a police investigation.

He will appear in court in Sydney tomorrow.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in June, Australia imposed new sanctions against a number of russians and companies from the aggressor country of russia. This time, 37 people and seven organizations were on the list.