--- title: "“France Is the Main Target of Russian Disinformation Operations”: The Reason Behind Moscow’s Hybrid War Revealed in Paris" description: "France’s Minister-Delegate for European Affairs, Benjamin Addad, stated in an interview with RBC-Ukraine that France has become the main target of Russian disinformation and propaganda operations due to its key role in European security." date: 2026-09-23T06:14:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/france-main-target-of-russian-disinformation-operations tags: [france, russia, disinformation, hybrid-war, european-security, ukraine, benjamin-addad] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # “France Is the Main Target of Russian Disinformation Operations”: The Reason Behind Moscow’s Hybrid War Revealed in Paris ![French politician in a business suit during a discussion on hybrid warfare and Russian disinformation operations against France](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/franciya-glavny-obekt-rossiyskikh-dezinformatsionnykh-operatsiy/franciya-glavny-obekt-rossiyskikh-dezinformatsionnykh-operatsiy-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - France has become the main target of Russian disinformation and propaganda operations, stated Minister-Delegate for European Affairs Benjamin Addad - Moscow is targeting France because of its key role in European security matters - Addad called for staying calm and continuing the long-term counteraction to hybrid war - Paris’s support for Ukraine will continue even after the end of Macron’s presidential term France’s Minister-Delegate for European Affairs, Benjamin Addad, stated in an interview with RBC-Ukraine that France has become the main target of Russian disinformation and propaganda operations. According to him, Moscow actively uses the internet space to spread pro-Russian messages, with democratic countries being the first to face foreign interference. The statement came against the backdrop of ongoing pressure from Russian information structures on European states and sparked wide resonance in EU political circles. ### Why Moscow Focuses on Paris Addad directly linked the heightened attention from Russian leadership toward France to its key role in European security matters. “France is the main target of disinformation and propaganda operations from Russia, probably because they know that we are a major supporter and a key player in Europe when it comes to security issues. But the same applies to our neighbors,” noted the representative of President Emmanuel Macron. Thus, the French official pointed to Moscow’s strategic logic: the greater a state’s influence in the architecture of European security, the more intense the information attacks directed against it. ### Hybrid War as a Systemic Tool In his remarks, Addad emphasized that this is not a matter of isolated incidents but of a systemic hybrid war that Russia is waging against Europe’s democratic institutions. Pro-Russian narratives, he said, are spread through disinformation on the internet, allowing Moscow to influence public opinion without direct military confrontation. The French minister called for calm and urged not to fall for provocations, while continuing to build robust mechanisms to counter foreign interference. “I think that in moments like these, we need to stay calm and keep moving forward. We must defend ourselves against interference, against hybrid war. We must continue what we are doing for our security and the security of Ukrainians, and not stop in the long term,” Addad stated. ### Support for Ukraine Beyond Macron’s Presidential Term Separately, Addad confirmed that Paris’s course of supporting Ukraine is not tied to the personal presidential term of the incumbent head of state. According to him, France’s assistance to Kyiv will continue even after the end of Emmanuel Macron’s mandate. This statement is significant in the context of upcoming political cycles in France and is aimed at reducing uncertainty regarding Paris’s long-term commitments to the Ukrainian side. ### Context: Information Pressure on the EU Addad’s statement fits into a broader context of growing information pressure on European states. Amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russia, according to European intelligence assessments, is increasing the scale of coordinated campaigns on social networks and news platforms. France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and one of the leading military players in the EU, occupies a special place among the priority targets for Russian information influence. At the same time, as Addad emphasized, the threat extends to neighboring countries as well, underscoring the need for a coordinated response at the level of the entire European Union. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Russia Is Waging a Hybrid War Against France: The Reason Named in Paris](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiya-vede-gibridnu-viynu-proti-frantsiyi-1790143800.html) - Интервью Бенджамена Аддада РБК-Украине. Прямые цитаты министра-делегата Франции по делам Европы подтверждают все ключевые тезисы статьи: статус Франции как главного объекта дезинформации, связь с ролью в европейской безопасности, призыв к спокойствию и продолжению противодействия гибридной войне, а также подтверждение продолжения поддержки Украины после срока Макрона. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who stated that France is the main target of Russian disinformation operations? **A:** This statement was made by France’s Minister-Delegate for European Affairs, Benjamin Addad, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine. ### Q: Why, according to Addad, is Moscow targeting France specifically? **A:** Addad linked this to France’s role as a key player in Europe on security issues. According to him, Russia knows that France is a major supporter and a key player in European security, and therefore deliberately directs disinformation and propaganda operations against it. ### Q: What did Addad call for in response to Russia’s hybrid war? **A:** The French minister called for staying calm, continuing to counter foreign interference and hybrid war, and not stopping in the long term in ensuring the security of France and Ukrainians. ### Q: Will France’s support for Ukraine continue after Macron’s presidential term? **A:** Yes, Addad confirmed that Paris’s support for Ukraine will continue even after the end of Emmanuel Macron’s presidential term.