Emmanuel Macron warned on Friday of an intensifying Russian hybrid threat facing France and Europe, announcing that he had asked his government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure, including sensitive defense industry sites, against the risk of drone attacks and cyberattacks. Speaking to reporters at the Elysee Palace after meeting with political party leaders, the French president said the threat, particularly the Russian hybrid threat facing Europeans and France, had clearly intensified in recent weeks.
Macron said France had been targeted by Russian hybrid attacks in recent weeks, and that they would not go without a response. He said the goal behind Moscow's actions was to intimidate Europeans and break their effort to support Ukraine. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said all relevant state services, along with local authorities, would be mobilized to prepare for such threats.
The term hybrid warfare describes a range of non military methods, such as cyberattacks, sabotage, or disinformation, designed to pressure and destabilize an adversary without resorting directly to open armed conflict. A growing number of European leaders have warned in recent months that Russia may be using these tactics to test the continent's resolve to keep supporting Kyiv.
To illustrate the threat, Macron pointed to last month's drone attack on Leipzig airport in Germany, which has been blamed on Russia. The French president had also condemned, on September 10, the incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace during attacks on Ukraine, calling it unacceptable and a reckless escalation.
The announcement comes amid heightened vigilance among European states over destabilization tactics attributed to Moscow, as the war in Ukraine continues to weigh on the continent's security and several European Union member states have already faced similar incidents affecting their infrastructure or airspace.