SEE IT: UES Russian Consulate Vandalized After Ukraine Land Grab 

The Russian Consulate on the Upper East Side had become the scene of protests in the days after the country invaded neighboring Ukraine, but biggest act of defiance in NYC against Vladimir Putin’s war crimes came early Friday morning, when vandals splashed the front of the townhouse flying the Russian flag with large amounts of red paint in an impressive display— simply for the sheer scale of the vandalism.

The dramatic statement in bright red paint stopped neighbors in their tracks as they passed by the Russian Consulate on East 91st Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues Friday morning, many pausing to take photos of the paint which covers much of the building’s ground level.

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Officers were called to scene just after 1:30 am Friday morning, police say, responding to a report of criminal mischief.

Numerous surveillance cameras outside the Upper East Side townhouse-turned-embassy likely caught the suspects on video, though the two cameras closest to the ground were covered in red paint, in an apparent attempt to obscure their views.

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This week, a sham referendum to permanently join Russia was held in occupied-Ukrainian territory and on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees illegally annexing the sovereign land belonging to its neighbor. 

The NYPD says the incident is being investigated as a possible bias crime.

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