Moscow responds to ‘terrorist attack’ on Russian consulate
The explosion that took place at the Russian consulate in the French city of Marseille on Monday could have been a terrorist attack, according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
The Russian consul general in Marseille, Stanislav Oranskiy, has confirmed that the blast took place inside the consulate and that firefighters are currently working at the scene. He told TASS that three explosive devices were thrown onto the grounds, one of which detonated. It is said to have resulted in only some property damage and no casualties.
Commenting on the explosion, Zakharova stated that it had “all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.” She added that Moscow will demand that Paris take “comprehensive and prompt measures to investigate, as well as steps to strengthen the security of Russian foreign missions.”
It is still unclear who was behind the attack, but local media have reported that police are already investigating the incident and are looking into a stolen vehicle that was found near the scene.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) warned last week that the Ukrainian government could resort to terrorist attacks on Moscow’s diplomatic missions in Europe in an effort to derail peace talks. The service suggested that the goal would be to prevent Kiev from having to make “excessive concessions” in a potential settlement with Russia.
