French police launch investigation as explosions rock the Russian embassy in Marseille

French police have launched a “terror” investigation following an explosion at the Russian consulate in Marseille on Monday morning.

Russia‘s consul general Stanislav Oranskiy said on Monday that the explosion happened inside the consulate and there has been reports of two Molotov cocktails were thrown inside the building.

Around 30 fire fighters and police attended the scene and no injuries were reported.

A Marseille police source said, “There were two loud explosions and material damage, but nobody was injured.”

“The building remains in lockdown, and a criminal enquiry has been launched.”

#JUSTIN : The Russian consul general in Marseille confirms that an explosion took place inside the consulate, Reuters reports citing reports. #Explosion #RussianConsulate #Marseille #France pic.twitter.com/8SyEbpDfmO

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Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “The explosions on the territory of the Russian Consulate General in Marseille have all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.”

“We demand (from France) exhaustive and prompt measures to investigate, as well as steps to strengthen the security of Russian foreign missions.”

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Kremlin, said it is “necessary” to strengthen “all security measures” at Russian consulates following the attack.

“All necessary measures are being taken by diplomatic agencies to draw the attention of the host country to the need to strengthen all security measures,” he said.