The head of Russia's foreign intelligence alleges that America's oldest ally is preparing to send soldiers to an active war zone.
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin told state media – in an apparent disinformation campaign – that France is deploying 2,000 troops to Ukraine.
Naryshkin accused France's leaders of neglecting the concerns of ordinary citizens and military generals. “According to information coming to the Russian SVR, a contingent to be sent to Ukraine is already being prepared. Initially, it will include around 2,000 troops,” Naryshkin claimed. (RELATED: World Leader Rebuilding International Network Of Death)
The intelligence chief added that dissenting voices in Paris had expressed concern about drawing attention to “such a large military unit.”
“It will thus become a legitimate priority target for attacks by the Russian Armed Forces. This means that it will suffer the fate of all the French who have ever come to the Russian world with a sword,” he warned.
Naryshkin did not offer any proof to support his deployment claims. Though believed to be a disinformation campaign, French President Emmanuel Macron has discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine. (RELATED: Ukraine's Shockingly Effective New Weapon: Is It A Game-Changer Or Too Late?)
At a recent conference, the French leader announced: “We will do anything we can to prevent Russia from winning this war.” European heads of state promptly issued public statements dismissing the idea.
“What was agreed among ourselves and with each other from the very beginning also applies to the future, namely that there will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European countries or NATO states,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz countered.
In January, Moscow purported to have killed 60 foreign fighters on France's payroll in a strike on Kharkiv as part of another disinformation campaign, according to Le Monde:
A week after Moscow announced a strike on a building in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, where Russia alleged “French mercenaries” had been deployed, France's services in charge of information warfare – which report to both the foreign ministry and the military – say they have gathered evidence that this was a Russian disinformation operation.
Russia tried once again to boost its media offensive by organizing a vote on a resolution, in the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, on Wednesday, January 24, denouncing the alleged presence of these “mercenaries.” However, that same day, several media outlets received information suggesting that this was an act of manipulation.
First, the announcement of the strike on Kharkiv came the day after Emmanuel Macron's January 16 announcement that he was sending Kyiv 40 long-range SCALP-EG missiles. According to Moscow, the strike on Kharkiv took place within hours of the French president's statement. This timing has raised questions, as retaliatory strikes are rarely improvised so quickly.
The first news of this strike, which allegedly killed 60 fighters and wounded around 20 others, was also reported – ahead of even the Russian authorities – on a French-language website called Observateur Continental, which has long been identified as a conduit for Moscow's disinformation operations. A site “directly piloted by the GRU [Russian military intelligence],” a source close to the case said on Wednesday.
The French Ministry of Armed Forces vigorously denies Moscow's latest claims and calls for the “utmost vigilance” to counter the Kremlin's propaganda machine.
The Kyiv Post has the latest:
The SVR's intelligence assessment follows a series of recent assertions made by French President Emmanuel Macron where he did not rule out the need for Western forces one day having to be sent to bolster Ukraine and to “do what is needed” to prevent a Russian victory.
While this stopped short of an unequivocal statement of intent, it is possible that French military commanders have been set the task of brainstorming the options should that day ever dawn.
If so, the SVR could have picked up on relevant discussions. And much as when they intercepted a conference call among senior Bundeswehr Air Force officers about the use of Taurus missiles, they leaked it to give the impression of a definite plan of action. Military staff are constantly tasked to make tactical assessments of a range of possible military scenarios for their political masters.
An op-ed article in Tuesday's Le Monde, written by France's Chief of the Staff of the Army, Pierre Schill – headlined: “The French Army is ready” – may have reinforced the SVR's concern that “there's no smoke without fire.” However the Russians interpreted it, the article is a clear indication of the changing mindset in France towards the security of the nation, its territory, and its interests.
Although Ukraine is not explicit mentioned, Schill heavily implied that the war in Eastern Europe brought about significant change.
READ NEXT: Fmr. Trump Adviser Makes History In Prison Press Conference
