Car plows into Russian consulate gate in Sydney
Published September 1, 2025last updated September 1, 2025
What you need to know
A man was arrested after a car crashed into the front gate of the Russian consulate in Sydney, according to Australian television channel Sky News.
The incident took place after 8 a.m. (2200 GMT) local time.
Here's more on the incident as it happened:
We're bringing blog to a close
We're closing the live section of the blog. News relating to the incident as it happened early Monday morning (for us here reading in Europe) follows below.
Russian consulate reopened after briefly being closed
Reuters news reported that consulate was briefly closed before reopening, citing people behind a police cordon who had Monday visa appointments.
What else do we know about the car?
Television footage from Australian TV networks Sky News and Nine had shown a car with a smashed window abandoned next to a Russian flagpole on the grounds of Russia's consulate in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra.
A flatbed truck later took a white vehicle away from thegrounds of the consulate, a Reuters witness said.
Photos from the scene of incident
Police operation this morning at Russian consulate — witness report
Reuters news agency reported that a construction worker who was on the roof of a nearby building at the time saw a police officer taking photos of a car parked near the consulate around 8 a.m. local time.
The worker said he then heard sirens and a police helicopter arrived at the scene. A flatbed truck later took a white vehicle away from the grounds of the consulate, another witness told the news agency.
One man arrested after car crashes into Russian consulate, police say
New South Wales police said that a 39-year-old man was arrested after he drove his car into a gate of the Russian consulate property
Local media said a 24-year-old constable received an injury to his hand, adding there were no other reports of injuries.
Officers attempted to speak with driver before he drove into Russian consulate gate
Officials tried speaking with the driver of the vehicle after officials flagged that it was parked in the driveway without having the authority to do so.
But the driver allegedly drove his vehicle into the gates of the property, according to Australian television network Sky News.
Police respond to report about unauthorized vehicle parked in driveway
Australian police in New South Wales, the state that is home to Sydney, said they responded to reports about an unauthorized vehicle parked in the driveway of an address on Fullerton Street that corresponded with the location of the Russian consulate in the eastern suburbs of the city.
The incident unfolded at 8 a.m. local time, police said.