On the morning of February 24, two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the garden of the Russian consulate in the 8th district of Marseille, writes the BFMTV channel. Sources in the police confirmed this information. Both projectiles landed in the garden of the diplomatic building, causing no damage or injuries.
“The consulate is located on Avenue Ambroise-Paré in the 8th district. This area is home to numerous consulates, including those of Egypt, Tunisia, Armenia, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Around thirty firefighters and police are working at the scene,” the publication states.
The consulate staff is inside the building awaiting the arrival of a bomb disposal team, reports RIA Novosti. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the explosion in Marseille “has all the signs of a terrorist attack.”
The department demanded that France take “comprehensive and prompt measures to investigate the explosions at the consulate general in Marseille and steps to enhance the security of Russian diplomatic missions.”
In December of last year, a powerful explosion occurred on the first floor of a residential building in Moscow. Two men died at the scene — Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his driver. According to Russian media, the explosion may have been caused by a bomb attached to the handle of a scooter.