France is set to call in the Russian ambassador on Monday due to the killing of two French aid workers in a Russian attack in Ukraine and what France claims is a rise in Russian disinformation efforts, according to a source from the French diplomatic corps.
The attack, which occurred on February 1st in Ukraine’s Kherson region, involved a Russian drone and resulted in two French volunteers’ deaths and injuries to three others. French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne has labeled the attack a “barbaric act.”
During this summons, France plans to reaffirm its denunciation of Russia’s military actions and to express its concerns about the increased spread of false information aimed at France.
Relations between France and Russia, already tense due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, have worsened as France has stepped up its support for Ukraine, including a pledge to supply additional long-range missiles.
France has consistently accused Russia of disseminating misinformation and has recently refuted claims of French mercenaries in Ukraine following a Russian legislative declaration.
Additionally, France has dismissed Russian President Putin’s allegations about the origins of missiles that shot down a Russian aircraft carrying Ukrainian POWs.
With President Macron’s upcoming trip to Ukraine, the French foreign ministry anticipates further Russian propaganda efforts.
Shortly after France announced new arms shipments on January 16, Russia claimed to have killed around 60 French mercenaries in Kharkiv, a claim for which it provided no proof and which France has denied.
The Ukrainian military announced what they claim is a tally of Russian army losses in terms of personnel and equipment since the beginning of the current crisis.
According to military authorities in Kyiv, the number of Russian soldiers killed since the start of the crisis in February 2022 has risen to approximately 388,750, with 810 soldiers reported killed just yesterday.
This information was released by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on their official Facebook page and reported by the Ukrainian National News Agency “Ukrinform” on Sunday.
