Car rams Russian Embassy gate in Romania's Bucharest, driver dead

Bucharest (Romania): A car crashed into the gate of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, the Romanian capital early Wednesday, bursting into flames and killing the driver, police said, reported the Associated Press. As per news reports, at 6 am (local time) on Wednesday, the car rammed into the gate, but did not enter the Bucharest embassy compound. Video of the aftermath showed the car engulfed in flames as security personnel ran through the area.

According to police, firefighters who arrived at the scene were able to put the fire out but the driver died at the scene. There was no immediate information on a possible motive or other details. Romania, which shares a long land border with Ukraine, has taken in more than 600,000 refugees since Russia invaded its neighbour.

Since the war started on February 24, protesters have gathered outside Russia’s embassy in the capital to call an end to the Russian aggression. On Tuesday, Romania ordered 10 diplomats from the embassy to be expelled. Romania's Foreign Ministry said the actions of 10 embassy workers, who have been declared persona non grata, "contravene the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relationships. 

Earlier, the European Union (EU) has declared a number of Russian diplomats working in Brussels "persona non grata" and ordered them to leave host nation Belgium, the bloc`s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

(With Agency inputs)