Russia is trying to destabilize France through protest movements, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, according to experts from the Robert Lansing Institute (RLI).
The Kremlin’s main goal is to weaken support for President Emmanuel Macron and undermine the country’s political stability because of France’s role in Europe and Africa, where it counters Moscow’s ambitions. Destabilizing Paris weakens the EU’s collective response to Russian actions and undermines NATO unity, especially on aid to Ukraine and sanctions.
Russia is using hybrid methods of influence, including support for protest movements such as the “Yellow Vests” and the decentralized “Bloquons Tout” movement, through state media, Telegram channels and bot networks. The aim of these campaigns is to highlight chaos, decline and hypocrisy in France, to inflame social and religious tensions and to strengthen marginal groups. Experts note that the protest movements are domestically rooted, but their decentralized structure makes them vulnerable to foreign influence, including through disinformation.
Russian intelligence agencies, including the GRU and SVR, are focusing on political infiltration, recruiting Moscow sympathizers among far-right and far-left activists, as well as cyberattacks on ministries and critical infrastructure. One of the best-known operations was the 2017 attack on Macron’s campaign (“MacronLeaks”), and experience from past protests, such as the “Yellow Vests,” is used to plan current influence campaigns.
French authorities have recorded foreign amplification of protest content online and symbolic provocations such as desecration of religious sites, although there is no confirmation of direct Russian control over the “Bloquons Tout” movement. RLI notes that such actions create fertile ground for hybrid operations at minimal cost, including spreading disinformation, staging provocations and undermining trust in state institutions.
The Kremlin also uses cyberattacks and information campaigns to discredit French authorities and support anti-system forces. Combined with domestic public discontent over the cost of living, budget cuts and austerity measures, this creates opportunities to weaken France and divert its attention from Africa, where Russia, through private military companies, seeks to expand its influence in Mali, the Central African Republic, Niger and Sudan.
Thus, France faces a comprehensive Russian strategy aimed at political destabilization, information pressure and cyberattacks, which poses a long-term threat to national stability and European security.
