France accuses Russia of military and disinformation attacks to divide allies

French officials have accused Russia of conducting military and informational operations designed to destabilize Western support for Ukraine. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that recent Russian attacks against a Ukrainian convoy near the border with Poland were intended to intimidate and divide European allies. These strikes occurred while Ukraine was hosting a major economic support forum involving international diplomats and business representatives.

In tandem with physical strikes, French investigations have identified a sophisticated disinformation campaign known as ‘Storm-1516’. According to reports from the French agency VIGINUM, this operation is attributed to Unit 29155 of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. The campaign utilizes deepfakes, fabricated testimonies, and fake websites to spread false narratives, specifically aiming to discredit the Ukrainian government and reduce Western assistance. The scale of these operations has grown significantly, with the number of identified instances rising from 77 in 2025 to 205 by mid-2026.