Nursery with Ukrainian children targeted in attempted arson attack

By Julia Dahm | EURACTIV.de
6:25


According to the state criminal police statement, unknown suspects tried to set fire to the nursery in Leipzig during the weekend. [Shutterstock/MAYA LAB]







The State Protection Office has launched an investigation into an attempted arson attack that targeted a nursery mainly attended by Ukrainian children in Eastern Germany, investigators said on Tuesday.
According to the state criminal police statement, unknown suspects tried to set fire to the nursery in Leipzig during the weekend.
While the attempted attack resulted in property damage, nobody was injured, according to the police, who also said remnants of what might have been Molotov cocktails were found on-site.
Most of the nursery’s staff and children are Ukrainian, including refugees who fled Russia’s invasion of the country.
“A politically motivated crime cannot be ruled out,” a criminal police spokesperson told the news portal t-online, adding the State Protection Office, which is tasked with fighting politically motivated crimes, had taken over the investigations.
“Attacking children, and ones that have lost their homes at that, is incredibly vile!”, leading Conservative MP Norbert Röttgen said on Twitter.
“I am proud that the absolute majority of Germans show solidarity and willingness to help,” he added. “Ukrainian families are welcome in Germany!” he also said.
The outgoing Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin, Andrij Melnyk, took the opportunity to call out conservative Saxony Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, who has come under fire for continuing to voice markedly pro-Russian attitudes.
“Instead of practising your weird parallel foreign policy, it would make sense if Saxony’s government makes sure that Ukrainian refugee children do not become the targets of arsonists. Thank you,” he said on Twitter.