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Firefighters and police are reportedly on the scene in Marseille.
An explosion has occurred at the Russian consulate in Marseille, France. While details are still emerging, local news source BFM reports approximately 30 firefighters and police officers are present at the consulate.
Valeurs news also reported the explosion, stating it happened around 7:30 AM local time on Monday. The outlet indicated there were no casualties, only property damage.
Valeurs journalist Nicolas Boutin posted on X, citing police sources who claim two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the consulate garden. Authorities are also said to be investigating a stolen vehicle discovered nearby.
La Marseillaise newspaper quoted Russian Consul General in Marseille, Stanislav Oranskiy, confirming an explosion inside the consulate and the presence of firefighters within the building.
Although the details of the incident remain unclear, it follows a warning last week from Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Agency (SVR) that its diplomatic missions in Europe could be targeted by Ukrainian “terrorist attacks.”
The SVR suggested that Kiev is “extremely reluctant” to agree to any settlement with Russia involving “excessive concessions” from Ukraine. The agency also warned that Ukrainian operatives might attempt to disrupt Russia-US talks by attacking Russian embassies in countries including Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, as well as the Baltic and Nordic nations.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the reported incident bears the hallmarks of a terrorist attack. She added that Moscow will demand a thorough investigation from French authorities and increased security for Russian institutions in the country.