Russian-linked cybercampaigns put a bull’s-eye on France. Their focus? The Olympics and elections

People film the Olympic rings that are displayed on the Eiffel Tower, June 7, 2024 in Paris. More than a dozen reports issued in the past year point to an intensifying effort from Russia to undermine France, particularly the upcoming Games, and Macron, who is one of Ukraine's most vocal supporters in Europe. — AP

PARIS: Photos of blood-red hands on a Holocaust memorial. Caskets at the Eiffel Tower. A fake French military recruitment drive calling for soldiers in Ukraine, and major French news sites improbably registered in an obscure Pacific territory, population 15,000.

All are part of disinformation campaigns orchestrated out of Russia and targeting France, according to French officials and cybersecurity experts in Europe and the United States. France’s legislative elections and the Paris Olympics sent them into overdrive.