Molotov cocktails were thrown at Russia’s consulate in Marseille on Monday, in what Moscow said had ‘all the hallmarks of a terror attack’.
Three projectiles were thrown at the perimeter wall of the building in the southern French port city, two of which exploded, Marseille police said. The plastic bottles landed in the consulate's garden.
Russia’s consul general Stanislav Oranskiy said on Monday there was a blast inside the premises. The suspect fled and an investigation has been launched.
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The French interior ministry has said there were no casualties from the blast and all staff and the Russian consul were unharmed.
A bomb disposal expert was called to the scene and 38 firefighters attended. Moscow has demanded a full French investigation.
"The explosions on the territory of the Russian Consulate General in Marseille have all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "We demand (from France) exhaustive and prompt measures to investigate, as well as steps to strengthen the security of Russian foreign missions."
The incident in the southern French city took place on the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war.
A dozen leaders from Europe and Canada were in Ukraine's capital Monday to mark the anniversary of the invasion.
The visitors, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau were set to attend anniversary events and discuss supporting Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It comes as US president Donald Trump is pushing for a quick deal to end the war in Ukraine, alarming Washington's European allies by leaving them and Kyiv out of initial talks. He has also falsely blamed Ukraine for Russia's 2022 invasion.
