Ukraine Says Embassy Attack Was Terrorist Act, US Disagrees

A small explosion hit the U.S. embassy in Kiev, Ukraine overnight on Wednesday in what the Ukraine’s National Police has ruled a terrorist attack. The U.S. embassy, however, disputed the report as a terrorist act, saying the blast wasn’t that serious.

"We can confirm that there was a security incident involving a small incendiary device shortly after 12 a.m. June 8 at the Embassy compound,” read the statement posted on their Facebook page Thursday.

"There was no damage to Embassy property. No personnel were injured. All Embassy operations are continuing as normal. At this time, we do not consider this incident a terrorist act," continued the statement saying that the investigation.

The attack, according to police reports, happened at midnight on Wednesday and involved an unknown person throwing a small explosive device over the fence at the embassy.

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"The event is properly registered, initiated criminal proceedings under Art. 258 (act of terrorism) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Conducted operational-search measures to establish those involved in the crime," reads a translated version of the Ukrainian police statement from Thursday.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that they condemn the attack "in the strongest possible terms," and that the attack deserves a "thorough investigation of this crime, its proper classification, and severe punishment of the perpetrators."

Ukraine has a relatively sparse history of terrorism in the country. In April 2012, there was a coordinated series of four bombs that went off along a tram line in Dnipropetrovsk. The bombs were all placed in trash cans near the stations, and injured, in total 26 people.

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The attack on the Ukrainian Embassy comes just hours after police carried out controlled explosions after being alerted to two unattended vehicles near the new U.S. embassy in Wandsworth, south-west London.

Europe has been on edge concerning terrorism attacks. In weeks before this attack there has been a string of attacks in both Britain and France.

On Tuesday, there was an attack in Paris at a cathedral by an Algerian student who attacked a police officer yelling "this is for Syria." On Saturday, there was an attack in London involving three attackers and included a van that swerved back and into crowds of unsuspecting pedestrians.

"The three attackers got out of the vehicle, its hood crumpled in the collision and its back and side doors flung open. Carrying large knives and wearing what appeared to suicide vests, they headed toward Borough Market, a site that has existed in some form or another for 1,000 years," according to a report by NBC.