Paris rejects Russian accusations of French mercenaries in Ukraine
Russia has escalated tensions with Paris by passing a resolution addressed to French lawmakers denouncing the alleged presence of French mercenaries in Ukraine.
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The move, on Wednesday, comes after a week of confrontations between Moscow and Paris.
Russia claimed, without evidence, to have killed 60 French mercenaries in a strike in Ukraine's Kharkiv before summoning French ambassador Pierre Levy.
Russia's claims come after Paris announced it would send dozens of long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Moscow's choice of the word "mercenary" implies that France is breaking its own law against citizens working abroad as guns-for-hire – a crime punishable by five years in prison and a fine of €75,000.
The French Foreign Ministry has said it has no mercenaries "anywhere", calling the claims "another clumsy Russian manipulation" and pointing to Russia's own mercenary activity in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that it had "reliable information" that there were French mercenaries in Ukraine but stopped short of providing details.
"Despite the fact that Paris officially denies that French mercenaries are participating in the military conflict in Ukraine ... objective information about losses in mercenary neo-Nazi units reliably indicates the opposite," the Russian resolution read.
France has been one of Kyiv's staunchest allies during Moscow's almost two-year offensive.
"Russian manipulation"
Paris also said Russia's claims are part of an ongoing disinformation campaign.
In June, Paris revealed a digital influence operation publishing anti-Ukraine content on websites imitating major French newspapers. One article falsely claimed France would introduce a new tax to finance its support to Kyiv.
Pro-Russian groups based in France, such as SOS Donbass, published a list on Monday via the Russian news agency Ria Novosti naming 13 alleged French mercenaries it claims were in Kharkiv at the time of the Russian strike.
"The most critical information – alive or dead, rank, and so on – will be released later, as well as further names," said SOS Donbass chief Anna Novikova, who holds French and Russian nationality.
A second list of 30 alleged French mercenaries is also being shared through the Telegram messaging app.
"Both lists are widely available on social networks" and have been spread by dozens of pro-Russian sites, a French source familiar with the case acknowledged.
(with newswires)
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