 "Blasts in Russian consulate in France as Ukraine war enters 4th year, Moscow calls it 'terrorist attack'")
An explosion was heard near the Russian consulate on Avenue Ambroise-Paré on Monday (February 24), marking a tense start to the day that coincides with the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war.
The blast occurred inside the consulate, according to Sputnik, which cited Stanislav Oransky, the Russian Consul General in Marseille.
Reports indicate that unidentified attackers threw two Molotov cocktails into the consulate. Molotov cocktails are easy-to-make, hand-held incendiary weapons. They usually consist of a bottle filled with flammable liquid with a paper or cloth for igniting the flame.
A stolen car was also discovered near the site of the incident. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the attack.
No information has been released regarding casualties. The details about the extent of the damage have also not been shared yet.
French media earlier reported that a blast was heard near the consulate and firemen were at the site.
Russia demands action
“The explosions on the territory of the Russian Consulate General in Marseille have all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack,” TASS quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.
She reportedly demanded “exhaustive and prompt measures to investigate, as well as steps to strengthen the security of Russian foreign missions” from France.
Third anniversary of start of Russia-Ukraine war
The incident in Marseille, a city in southern France city, took place on the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war .
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a land, sea, and air “special military operation” on Ukraine, thousands of Ukrainian citizens have died and more than six million now live as refugees abroad, marking the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
Russia reportedly controls nearly one-fifth of Ukraine including Crimea– which it annexed in 2014, more than 99 per cent of the Luhansk region, and about 75 per cent of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
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