French authorities have discovered a website with a fake recruitment drive for French volunteers to join the war in Ukraine, the defense ministry said Thursday.
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The site has now been taken down by French services, a government source who spoke on condition of anonymity told AFP, without providing further details on the nature of the operation.
The site, which is now inaccessible, said 200,000 French people were invited to „join Ukraine” and that migrants were given priority.
A link to the site – which resembled a real recruitment portal for the French military – was posted on X, earlier Twitter, the French Defense Ministry said.
„The site is a fake government site,” the ministry said in X, and was „republished by malicious accounts as part of a disinformation campaign”.
🚨 #Misinformation. The URL of the „Engage in Ukraine” site, which uses the graphic charter of government sites, is currently circulating on X. This site is a fake government site, posted on social networks by malicious accounts. pic.twitter.com/SuVUrocVPk
— Ministry of Armed Forces 🇫🇷 (@Armees_Gouv) March 28, 2024
The ministry did not name any suspects in the website spoof, but a government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said „the site bears the hallmarks of a Russian or pro-Russian effort as part of a false campaign claiming to be the French military.” Ready to send troops to Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron angered the Russian leadership last month by hardening his tone in the conflict sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, refusing to rule out sending ground troops and insisting that Europe must do whatever is necessary to defeat Russia.
The official said recent examples of disinformation posts included images of French military convoys falsely presented as heading towards the Ukrainian border.
The fake website invited potential recruits to contact „Unit Commander Paul” for information on joining.
Ministry officials told AFP that the Defense Ministry and government cyber units were investigating.
The French government has recently stepped up efforts to combat what it says are Russian disinformation and destabilization campaigns aimed at undermining French public support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
(AFP)
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