"Misjudged the diplomatic repercussions": Two French nationals who threw explosives near the Russian embassy have been sentenced to 8 months in prison.

A court in Marseille, France, sentenced two employees of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) to 8 months in prison.

They will serve their sentences at home under the condition of wearing electronic bracelets, according to France Info.

The defendants fully admitted their guilt. They explained their motives in court. Georges S., a 60-year-old Frenchman of Spanish descent, is married to a Ukrainian woman.

His colleague, 48-year-old Vasile H., a Frenchman of Romanian descent, expressed concern over the situation in Ukraine.

They claimed that they misjudged the diplomatic repercussions of their actions and initially intended to surrender to the police before attending a demonstration in support of Ukraine, organized later that day in front of the city hall.

"This is an especially harsh sentence considering that the defendants did not intend to cause harm or to demean dignity, even physically. The substances used were not capable of harming people or property," stated the lawyer for both researchers.

The defendants explained to investigators that the liquid contained in the plastic bottles was a mixture of nitrogen and chemicals.

Background. As reported, on Monday morning, marking the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the two men threw three bottles containing a flammable homemade mixture onto the grounds of the Russian consulate in Marseille.

On the evening of the same day, they were arrested during a solidarity rally for Ukraine.

The court found them guilty of illegal manufacture of explosives and property damage.

Previously, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that the explosions bore all the hallmarks of a terrorist act following reports of the attack on the consulate.