Fire at Russian center in EU capital ‘could be arson’ – director

A major fire broke out at a Russian science and culture center in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia on Wednesday. The blaze engulfed a large part of the building, damaging the walls and the roof, its director, Alina Radchenko, told the RIA news agency.

The fire could have been a result of an arson attack, she added. “We heard two loud bangs,” Radchenko said. The staff did not take notice of the incident at first, but it turned out “that our building had caught fire,” the director explained. Citing several witnesses, she suggested that “something had apparently been thrown at the building.”

Photos from the scene published by Russian media that had surfaced on social media showed a part of the building engulfed in flames with plumes of thick black smoke billowing above.

Seven fire trucks were deployed to the scene, the Cypriot fire service told local media, with firefighters quickly managing to extinguish the blaze, according to reports. The Russian embassy in Cyprus confirmed that the incident resulted in no casualties. Radchenko also said that all of the center’s staff had been evacuated to safety.

Cypriot authorities said an investigation of the incident was underway and that the causes of the blaze were still being determined.

According to witnesses, a white minivan was seen parked near the center in the days prior to the blaze, RIA reported, adding that the vehicle disappeared during the fire.

The Russian center in Nicosia serves as a cultural exchange hub and hosts various events and exhibitions throughout the year.

A similar center in Finland was briefly seized by the authorities last week. According to Finnish officials, the action was taken to check if any of the facilities were linked to entities or individuals blacklisted by the EU. The Russian property was then released after the authorities found no cause for it to be seized.