A suspicious object discovered near the entrance to the consular section of the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C. set off a tense morning on Friday, prompting an evacuation of the building and the closure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in both directions. Authorities also shut down M Street and part of Wisconsin Avenue NW while law enforcement and bomb-disposal personnel examined the item. The object was ultimately determined to pose no threat, and the bridge and surrounding area reopened.
Embassy Cleared, Bridge Shut Down in Both Directions
The embassy was evacuated and the surrounding area was cordoned off for the safety of employees and visitors, according to unn.ua. The New York Post reported that the U.S. Secret Service discovered the object outside the embassy, and that the discovery prompted evacuation of the building along with closure of the Key Bridge. Response times differed slightly between outlets: Fox 5 reported authorities responded around 8:40 a.m. to the 3300 block of M Street NW, while the Metropolitan Police Department told WJLA it responded to assist the U.S. Secret Service around 8:42 a.m. at the same location.
Traffic on Wisconsin Avenue NW between M and O streets NW was also affected, per the same WJLA report. The Washington Examiner noted that the Key Bridge, which connects Washington to Arlington, Virginia, was closed after the package was found in Georgetown, as reported by the Washington Examiner. The Metropolitan Police Department's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit was also sent to the scene, the station's report added.
No Threat Found, Area Reopens
U.S. law enforcement officers and bomb-disposal experts inspected the object and determined it posed no threat, according to unn.ua, which cited Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi. The Key Bridge and the area around the embassy reopened after the inspection, and visitor services were expected to resume shortly, Tykhyi said, as reported by the same outlet. Fox 5 reported that the bridge closure lasted about two hours before it reopened, and that no injuries were reported, a detail confirmed by Fox 5.
A Secret Service spokesperson said the discovery prompted a response from the Secret Service, the Metropolitan Police Department and other agencies, and that the investigation remained ongoing with additional details expected, according to the Post. The Hill likewise reported that the Secret Service and D.C. police investigated the suspicious package and closed the bridge and nearby streets as a precaution, per The Hill. Reuters, republished by ThePrint, reported that the embassy said it was resuming operations after a brief disruption, with consular services expected back shortly, according to ThePrint, citing Reuters.
Backdrop of Ongoing Diplomacy
The scare unfolded as the United States and Ukraine, as well as the United States and Russia, are negotiating ways to work toward winding down Moscow's war against Kyiv, now in its fifth year, according to the Post's reporting.
