France has disclosed the scale of Russian espionage, sabotage, and cyber operations targeting its national security, according to a 16-page intelligence report titled Russian Threats and Actions Against France, obtained by L’Express and published on May 13.
The document outlines multiple Russian activities including cyberattacks, intelligence-gathering, technological theft, and political interference. French intelligence services say the threat has intensified since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to the L’Express report, Russian spies have targeted French scientific institutions working on defense technologies, including laser systems.
French engineers reported cases of technical equipment being stolen during international travel. Intelligence officials also accuse Russian officers operating under diplomatic cover of collecting political intelligence and attempting to influence European decision-making. “No meeting is neutral anymore,” the report warns.
In 2023–2024, Russian state-linked hackers breached several accounts belonging to France’s Ministry of Defense. Authorities also uncovered a scheme to illegally export French-made semiconductors for use by the Russian military.
A cyberattack targeting energy infrastructure is also under investigation. In April 2024, hackers linked to Russian intelligence services struck the Coulandon hydroelectric power plant.
The same year, a Russian national was charged with planning a terrorist act during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, which intelligence services believe was intended to demonstrate operational capability rather than carry out a real attack, L’Express reports.
French arms manufacturer KNDS France (formerly Nexter), producer of the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer, was also targeted. In 2023, hackers accessed official correspondence related to CAESAR systems delivered to Ukraine.
The report links earlier activity to the start of Russia’s full-scale war. On February 24, 2022—just one hour before the invasion of Ukraine began—Russia disabled some 40,000 Viasat modems, disrupting emergency communications in France and other parts of Europe.
French intelligence also warned that Russian services are distorting GPS coordinates to disrupt French aircraft navigation. Additionally, they have expressed concern about the possibility of nuclear escalation. “For us, this is not a bluff, not just a communication strategy. A nuclear strike is a scenario that Putin is seriously considering,” L’Express states.
Russia’s disinformation campaign was also highlighted. According to the report, Moscow continues to disseminate false narratives, deepfake videos, and manipulated content—including material generated by artificial intelligence—with the goal of discrediting France internationally.
Earlier, Orlin Roussev, a 47-year-old Bulgarian national residing in the UK, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to espionage conspiracy.
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