‘Terrorist attack’ at Russian consulate: As it happened

Police and firefighters have wrapped up work near the Russian consulate in Marseille, RIA has reported, citing the consul general of Sao Tome and Principe, whose diplomatic mission is located on the other side of the street.

Jean-Pierre Bensaid told the outlet that there are still several police officers and journalists at the scene but that the bomb squads and firefighters have already left and the street is now cleared.

The Marseille prosecutor’s office has announced that it has launched an investigation into the attack on the Russian consulate, Le Parisien newspaper has reported.

The case has been assigned to the department of organized and specialized crimes, the outlet said, with reference to the article for “damage caused by explosive or incendiary substances.”

The report said law enforcement agencies are currently examining the city’s surveillance camera footage in hopes of identifying the attackers.

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Moscow warns of Kiev ‘terrorism’ threat to Russia-US talks

France’s anti-Russian rhetoric contributed to the attack on Moscow’s consulate in Marseille, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador at Large Rodion Miroshnik has said.

The official, who heads the Foreign Ministry’s mission monitoring allegations of Ukrainian war crimes, stated that Monday’s incident has “all the signs of a terrorist act.”

“It seems that the hostile rhetoric of the French leadership is not just hot air, but also contributes to terrorist acts on French territory,” Miroshnik wrote on Telegram.

The La Provence newspaper has reported that the bomb squads deployed to the Russian consulate in Marseille have conducted a controlled detonation on site, presumably of an unexploded device that was hurled onto the territory of the consulate earlier in the day.

The outlet noted that law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel are still working at the scene and are using equipment designed to “detect and identify nuclear, radiological, biological, chemical and explosive substances.”

The press service of the Russian Embassy in France has said it is in contact with local law enforcement agencies in order to determine the identities of the attackers on the consulate in Marseille and take other necessary actions.

The embassy noted that prior to the attack, it had explicitly asked the French authorities to bolster security around Russian diplomatic missions in the country due to the threat of possible provocations.

”Nevertheless, such an attack took place,” the embassy’s press service said. It noted that just one day before, a small anti-Russian demonstration had taken place near the consulate in Marseille.

The Consul of the Russian Consulate General in Marseille, Anna Bulatova, has confirmed to RT that three explosive devices had been thrown onto the grounds of the consulate at around 7:30am.

She stated that two of the devices exploded and the relevant services were contacted immediately, including bomb squads. She stated that there were no casualties or damage to the building.

She noted that consulate workers were warned in advance about the threat of possible attacks in light of the current events, stating that “we were prepared.”

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Moscow responds to ‘terrorist attack’ on Russian consulate

The explosion at the Russian consulate in Marseille was deliberate, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said, claiming that the incident has “all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.”

She added that Moscow will demand that the French authorities conduct a thorough investigation and boost security at Russian foreign missions.

The consulate has told the media that three unknown devices were thrown onto the property, two of which detonated. Bomb squads are said to be currently working on the third device.

Consular staff told TASS that the explosions did not cause any injuries or damage to the building as they detonated outside.

A reporter working for the Valeurs Actuelles has claimed, citing law enforcement sources, that the attackers hurled Molotov cocktails onto the grounds of the consulate. He also stated that the police are conducting an investigation into a stolen vehicle found near the scene.

French media have reported that the blast at the Russian Consulate in Marseille was heard at about 8:00 AM local time. Some 30 firefighters and police officers are said to have been deployed to the scene, along with bomb squads. The area around the consulate has been cordoned off.