Attack on the Russian Consulate in Marseille: Two CNRS Researchers Admit Responsibility

The two men, an engineer and a chemist, remain in custody after throwing explosive devices into the consulate garden.

Two CNRS researchers admitted during their police custody on Tuesday, February 25, to being behind the explosive device attack on the Russian consulate in Marseille the previous day. The information, revealed by La Provence and confirmed by the public prosecutor, Nicolas Bessone, states that the two individuals are still being questioned by investigators.

An Act During a Demonstration

The two researchers, identified through surveillance footage, were arrested during a rally in support of Ukraine. They confessed to creating a mixture of nitrogen and chemical substances, contained in 50 cl plastic bottles, which were thrown over the consulate fence.

Detonations and Bomb Disposal Intervention

The incident occurred on Monday morning, before 8 a.m. Three bottles were thrown into the consulate garden: two of them exploded, causing detonations but no injuries or material damage. The police prefecture immediately dispatched bomb disposal experts, and consulate staff, along with the Russian consul, were confined as a precaution.

This event, occurring on the eve of the third anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, was labeled a “terrorist attack” by Moscow. The two suspects will soon face justice, while analyses of the chemical residues found at the scene are ongoing.