An explosion occurred at the Russian consulate in Marseille on Monday, sparking concerns of a potential terrorist attack. According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, the blast exhibits all the signs of a targeted assault.
Around 30 firefighters were quickly dispatched to the site, where they contained the situation. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported, with TASS citing France’s BFMTV, that no injuries occurred during the incident.
Initial reports suggest that unidentified individuals threw two Molotov cocktails into the consulate’s garden. A stolen car was also discovered near the explosion site, raising further suspicion of intentional criminal activity.
Zakharova condemned the attack, calling for an immediate and thorough investigation. “The blasts at the Russian consulate general in Marseille exhibit all the signs of a terrorist attack,” she said, urging the French government to take swift and decisive action. “We demand that the host country take immediate, thorough action to investigate the incident, as well as measures to improve the security of Russia’s foreign facilities.”
The incident comes after a warning issued by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) on February 19, which stated that Ukrainian authorities might consider targeting Russian diplomatic facilities in Europe. The SVR highlighted potential threats in countries such as Germany, the Baltic states, and Scandinavia, as well as Slovakia and Hungary, as part of a broader geopolitical strategy to discredit EU members with differing positions on the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
(With ANI Inputs)