A Paris court has begun hearing a case against four Bulgarian nationals accused of acting on behalf of Russian intelligence to destabilize France. Prosecutors allege the defendants vandalized the Holocaust Memorial in May 2024, spray-painting 35 red handprints on the “Wall of the Righteous,” a monument honoring Jews killed under the Nazi regime. Similar red markings appeared across the 4th and 5th districts of Paris, echoing the “red hand” symbol associated with a 2000 lynching of two Israeli soldiers in Ramallah. Investigators traced the suspects through surveillance footage, hotel bookings, mobile phone data, and flight records.
Broader pattern of hybrid interference
French prosecutors see the vandalism as part of a coordinated campaign to sow division within French society, alongside incidents involving painted Stars of David, mock coffins near the Eiffel Tower, and pig heads dumped outside mosques in Île-de-France. Investigators linked the acts to online amplification by a network of coordinated X accounts and a fake media outlet called Artichoc, tied to the Russian influence operation Recent Reliable News/Doppelgänger. Three of the accused remain in custody following extraditions from Croatia and Bulgaria, while the fourth will be tried in absentia. They face up to seven years in prison and fines of up to €75,000.
Expert analysis and political response
Analysts say Moscow uses third-party actors to carry out disruptive operations in EU states. Kevin Limonier, deputy director of the GEODE geopolitics center in Paris, said the incidents reflect Russia’s view of France as a major adversary due to its nuclear status and vocal support for Ukraine, including discussions on deploying troops to Odesa. French MP Natalia Pouzyreff of the Renaissance party noted that while post-Soviet countries recognize the threat more clearly, France’s distance from NATO’s eastern flank leaves it more vulnerable to pro-Russian narratives.
Escalating Russian activity in Europe
France’s 2025 National Strategic Review officially identifies Russia as the country’s primary threat, warning of possible high-intensity warfare scenarios. Paris has recorded a surge in Russian espionage, sabotage, and propaganda efforts since 2022, viewing them as preparations for potential confrontation with NATO. Similar operations have been uncovered across Europe, including railway sabotage in France ahead of the 2024 Olympics and surveillance incidents in Poland involving Russian agents placing cameras along train routes.
