Ukrainian citizen stabs Russian vice consul in Panama - ambassador
MOSCOW. Oct 12 (Interfax) - Russian Vice Consul to Panama Yevgeny Manilov has been seriously wounded by a Ukrainian citizen, who earlier threatened Russian diplomatic workers in the country, Russian Ambassador to Panama Alexei Yermakov says.
"The attacker has turned out to be a Ukrainian citizen born in 1991. This man had been detained twice in our consulate department for inadequate behavior and threats to our employees. It looks like he was under the influence of drugs, although, certainly, this has yet to be confirmed by the investigation," Yermakov said in a telephone interview with Channel One on Saturday.
"This citizen of Ukraine had approached us with absolutely unrealistic demands. He probably believed for some reason that we should pay him a large sum of money, which he had lost here by gambling, so that he could return" home, Yermakov said.
Panamanian media reported earlier that Manilov had been stabbed when he and two other people accompanying him were at a parking lot of an international business center, where the Russian embassy is located.
Local police said an unidentified young man approached Manilov and stabbed him before several witnesses' eyes. The motives were not reported.
The wounded vice consul was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery, and his life is currently out of danger, Channel One reported.
All the necessary documents on the incident have been forwarded to judicial instances, it said.
