General Thierry Burkhard, Chief of Staff of the French Army, has stated that Russia considers France its main adversary in Europe due to its strong support for Ukraine.
In a rare press conference in Paris, Burkhard outlined the multifaceted threat from Moscow, which includes disinformation, cyberattacks, sabotage, and espionage. He directly attributed this assessment to Russian President Vladimir Putin, reiterating that Paris is seen as the Kremlin’s primary opponent on the continent.
Burkhard warned that Russia possesses various means to wage hybrid warfare against France. He highlighted Russian satellite maneuvers aimed at obstructing, approaching, blocking, and spying on French satellite trajectories in space.
He added that Russian nuclear submarines regularly patrol the Atlantic and Mediterranean, observing strategic areas of interest for both France and Britain. In the air, Burkhard noted “frequent friction and interactions with Russian aircraft” over the Black Sea, Syria, the Mediterranean, and at times the North Atlantic.
These statements come as the Élysée Palace indicates that President Emmanuel Macron is expected to make “major announcements” in response to these increasing threats.
