LAST UPDATE | 7 Mar 2022

GARDAÍ HAVE ARRESTED a man following a security breach involving a truck at the front gate of the Russian Embassy in Dublin.

A garda spokesperson confirmed the incident and said that a man had been arrested for criminal damage. 

Social media video taken at the scene shows a large truck crashing through the gates of the facility on Orwell Road, Rathgar, Co Dublin. 

The spokeswoman said a man was arrested at the scene at 1.30pm today. 

“Gardaí are investigating an incident of criminal damage that occurred at a property on Orwell Road this afternoon, Monday 7th March 2022 at approximately 1.30pm.

“One male was arrested and taken to Rathfarnham Garda Station where he is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. Investigations are ongoing,” she said. 

Nikita Isakin, Press Attaché at the Russian Embassy appealed for stronger security from the gardaí and also said the incident was of “extreme concern”. 

“The Embassy strongly condemns this criminal act of insanity directed against peaceful diplomatic mission. The Embassy views this incident as a clear and blatant violation of the Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic relations of 1961.

“The Embassy is in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland, demanding that the Irish authorities take comprehensive measures to ensure the safety of it’s staff and their family members,” he said.  

A video, obtained by The Journal, showed the truck reversing into the gates as a small group of protestors cheered and shouted “bravo” and “well done”.

The driver, dressed in black with a peace symbol of a dove on his shirt, said he was doing it for the people of Ukraine and said he was upset by the scenes of a family who were killed in Irpin last night. 

He called on the ambassador and his colleagues to be expelled from Ireland. 

He told protestors that he was “glad he done (sic) it”. 

A garda, who was on a post on the roadway outside the embassy, approached him and said that he would be arrested and the driver agreed to accompany the garda to the patrol car. 

Daily protests have been taking place at the gates of the Russian Embassy since the country’s invasion of Ukraine, with some people picketing the site each day. 

One local protester who says he has been there each day saw today’s incident and described it was “very straightforward, nothing dramatic”.

He said the truck driver “had the bravery to take a stand” and he raised reports of the Russian Embassy being used as a European communications base.

Following the incident, gardai erected a barricade outside the Russian Embassy.

A guard said it was set up on “behalf of An Garda Siochana” and not at the request of the Russian Embassy.”

- With reporting by Rónán Duffy and Press Association