A massive misinformation campaign. France on Tuesday accused Russia of carrying out a vast operation of digital interference by publishing false articles from major French daily newspapers hostile to Ukraine, a new episode in Moscow’s hybrid war against the West, “actions unworthy of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council,” according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The campaign targeted several media sites, but also that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government sites, by creating mirror sites, said spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre. So far, France has followed a cautious doctrine when it comes to attribution of digital attacks. “The involvement of Russian embassies and cultural centers that have actively participated in the amplification of this campaign, including through their institutional social media accounts, is a further illustration of the hybrid strategy that Russia is implementing to undermine the conditions for democratic debate,” the minister said.
