The Defence Ministry denied the information by the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin, about the presence of French troops in Ukraine and the readiness of Paris to send 2,000 soldiers.
The information relayed by Sergey Naryshkin, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, is a further example of the systematic use of mass disinformation […] We call for utmost vigilance to prevent any instrumentalization through this kind of campaign.
Previously, Naryshkin claimed that France was already preparing about 2,000 military personnel to be sent to Ukraine. He also alleged that French President Emmanuel Macron was hiding the truth about the number of French soldiers already killed in Ukraine for fear of mass protests in his country.
“Sooner or later, Macron will have to reveal the ugly truth, but he will strive to delay the confessions as much as possible. As they say in the Elysee Palace, the number of French dead ‘has already exceeded a psychologically significant threshold’.”
He declared that the French military was “visibly concerned” about the increase in deployment of French soldiers, adding that they also feared that such a significant unit could not be sent to Ukraine and stationed there stealthily.
The release of such sensitive data can provoke citizens to protest, especially against the background of mass anti-government protests by farmers across the country.
Last month, Macron refused to rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine, where the war began two years ago. However, the French president’s proposal sparked sharp criticism from European leaders.
