Russian consulate in New York vandalised with red paint

The Russian Consulate in New York was vandalised with red spray paint early Friday, in an apparent protest as the Russia-Ukraine war continues.

Officers said they responded to an emergency call just after 1.30am that reported paint sprayed across the facade of the consulate on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

A police spokesperson said the investigation was ongoing into the potential "bias incident" and no arrests had been made.

The bright red paint appeared hours before Putin announced he was annexing four parts of Ukraine occupied by his army.

Shelling also killed at least 30 people in Ukraine's southern region of Zaporizhzhia – one of the worst attacks against civilians in months.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the US-led military alliance Nato to grant Ukraine expedited membership, as international leaders including Joe Biden condemned Moscow's annexations.

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