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A French court convicted two scientists who threw Molotov cocktails on the territory of the Russian Consulate General in Marseille on 24 February 2025, the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They were sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, of which they will spend only one night in jail and the rest of their sentence will be served under house arrest with electronic bracelets.
French justice: not a terrorist attack, but an attack on the diplomatic mission
According to AFP, the court also banned the convicts from approaching the Russian consulate and possessing weapons for the next five years.
Russian Consul General in Marseille Stanislav Oransky said during the court hearing that the attack had “all the hallmarks of a terrorist act”. However, the prosecutor disagreed, stressing that the defendants’ actions “did not pose a real threat”, although they were inadmissible.
The Russian Embassy in France called the sentence “too lenient”, stating that the attackers “obviously sought to blow up the car park of official vehicles” on the territory of the diplomatic mission.
Who was behind the attack?
The attack was carried out by 48-year-old engineer Vassile H. and 59-year-old chemist Georges S., employees of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).
According to investigators, they filled three plastic bottles with a mixture of liquid nitrogen and explosive chemicals and then threw them onto the territory of the Russian Consulate General in Marseille. Two of the bottles fell on the roof of the car park, causing explosions, but there were no injuries or damage.
The men were detained the same day during a rally in support of Ukraine. They pleaded guilty and explained their actions as “solidarity with Ukraine”.
Georges S., who is married to a Ukrainian woman, described himself as an “idealist”, claiming that he had deliberately planned the attack so that it would not harm people. At the same time, he did not think about the possible diplomatic consequences.
Russia’s reaction and the opening of a criminal case
Russia reacted as usual: The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case under the article “attack on institutions enjoying international protection” (part 2 of article 360 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
