France is shifting into a mode of enhanced protection against the Russian hybrid threat. President Emmanuel Macron has instructed the government to develop a comprehensive plan to protect critical infrastructure and defense facilities from drone attacks and cyber strikes. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing France Télévisions. According to the outlet, in recent months Moscow's pressure on Paris has noticeably intensified: cyberattacks on military and government structures are being detected, as well as attempts to interfere in the upcoming presidential campaign using AI-fabricated video materials.
Emergency meeting at the Élysée Palace
On September 18, 2026, an emergency high-level meeting was held in a new protected crisis room at the Élysée Palace. The government urgently convened all departmental prefects, who are to hold regional summits on security and defense next week. The sessions will be attended by heads of law enforcement agencies, military officials, representatives of the education system, business, and emergency response services. "I asked the government to prepare a plan to protect our critical infrastructure, as well as sensitive facilities of our defense industrial and technological base, from drones and cyberattacks," Macron stated, emphasizing the urgency of the task.
List of potential targets and airfield readiness
According to a confidential internal memo obtained by France Télévisions, the list of potential attack targets includes power plants and power grids, railway infrastructure, telecommunications hubs, and drinking water distribution systems. Air Force General Patrick Duttart reported that major French airfields have already been brought to a state of readiness to repel drone attacks. At the same time, he noted that all sensitive facilities related to the country's defense could be at risk, requiring the protection perimeter to be extended far beyond military bases.
Timeline adjustment: intelligence shifts the threat horizon
French intelligence services, according to France Télévisions, are preparing for a scenario of massive Russian attacks on European territory. Notably, the time horizon of this threat has been adjusted: if earlier internal documents referred to 2030, analysts now cite autumn 2027. This acceleration, according to experts, is linked to the growing pace of preparation of sabotage groups and the expansion of cyberinfrastructure aimed at penetrating European control systems.
Hybrid war against Europe: the broader context
Moscow's actions in France are not an isolated incident. Russia is waging a large-scale hybrid campaign against European countries, which includes cyber operations, information influence, sabotage using so-called "one-time agents," and arson attacks on infrastructure facilities. Earlier, RBC-Ukraine examined in detail the mechanisms the Kremlin employs in EU countries and how European governments are building their response. France, as a key NATO member and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is viewed in Moscow as a priority target for demonstrating the vulnerability of the European security architecture.
The coming week will be a stress test for the French crisis management system: the prefects' regional summits are to complete the formation of a unified response protocol at the departmental level, while the government is to present Macron with a draft of the national protection plan. The document is expected to include both technical measures (anti-drone systems, cyber defense) and organizational ones (interagency coordination, training of critical infrastructure personnel).
