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France Links Paris Holocaust Memorial Vandalism to Russian Hybrid Warfare Network
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![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
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Four Bulgarian nationals went on trial in Paris this week, accused of carrying out an operation that French prosecutors link to a Russian hybrid warfare campaign targeting Western democracies, Politico reported on October 31.
The men allegedly painted red handprints on the Paris Holocaust Memorial in May—an act investigators say was orchestrated through Telegram channels and directed from abroad.
According to French intelligence documents cited in court and reviewed by Politico, two of the suspects received instructions in Russian from unidentified individuals, suggesting coordination by a Russian intermediary network.
Prosecutors said the suspects were “not the best Russian spies on Earth,” but their actions fit a broader pattern of Russia’s destabilization tactics: using hired proxies from other countries to execute low-level operations that stoke social tension and amplify disinformation.
The red-hand graffiti, they noted, was heavily promoted online by thousands of fake accounts linked to Russian influence campaigns.
Investigators identified one suspect, Nikolay Ivanov, as a possible ringleader who financed the group’s travel to France.
Background research presented in court indicated that Ivanov was born in Ukraine’s Donbas region, lived in Russia for several years, and maintained ties with pro-Russian paramilitary figures. He denied being pro-Russian, calling himself “a pacifist,” according to Politico.
Two other suspects, Georgi Filipov and Kiril Milushev, admitted taking part in the vandalism but said they believed the mission was “for peace.” Filipov said he was paid 1,000 euros (1154$) for his role and needed the money to pay child support.
The prosecutor has asked for four-year sentences for Ivanov and alleged coordinator Mircho Angelov—who remains at large—and two-year sentences for Filipov and Milushev, Politico wrote.
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Filipov, who, like Angelov, has large neo-Nazi tattoos on his chest, admitted to taking part in defacing the Holocaust memorial and later assisting in placing symbolic coffins near the Eiffel Tower as part of another coordinated act.
France has recently expanded its laws against foreign interference following a string of pro-Russian stunts across Europe, with officials warning that similar hybrid operations are aimed at exploiting divisions within French society. The trial continues through October 31.
Previously, it was reported that French authorities have arrested three Serbian nationals accused of carrying out coordinated acts of vandalism against Jewish landmarks in Paris, allegedly acting in the interest of a foreign state—potentially Russia.
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