An explosion occurred inside the Russian consulate in Marseille, France, on Monday, as confirmed by Russia’s consul general, Stanislav Oranskiy.

French media initially reported a loud blast near the consulate, with emergency responders rushing to the scene. The incident coincided with the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Russian state news agency TASS cited the foreign ministry’s statement, labeling the explosion a suspected “terrorist attack” and urging French authorities to conduct a thorough investigation. Reports suggest that unidentified individuals threw Molotov cocktails into the consulate, and a stolen car was discovered nearby.

Authorities have not reported any casualties, but local police have sealed off the area. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has called on France to bolster security measures around Russian diplomatic premises.

Recall of the Kabul Embassy Attack

The blast in Marseille echoes the 2022 suicide bombing at Russia’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, which killed six people, including two Russian diplomats. The ISIL (ISIS) group claimed responsibility for that attack. The Kremlin had condemned it as “absolutely unacceptable,” and the Taliban had pledged to enhance embassy security.

While the Russian foreign ministry has characterized the Marseille explosion as a terrorist act, no group has claimed responsibility for it so far.