France Accuses Russia of Disinformation Campaign
France Accuses Russia of Disinformation Campaign
Information Op Faked Government and News Sites
Russia has been accused by France of a coordinated disinformation campaign, saying the actions are “unworthy of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.”
The group faked well known French government and news organizations sites by creating websites with very similar URLs. They then copied most of the original content but added pro-Russian articles expressing views that sanctions need to be lifted, that Ukrainian refugees are a burden to Europe, and making up a story that France was going to raise taxes so they could send more aid to Ukraine.
In addition to the website, France uncovered a significant number of fake social media accounts being used to propagate the planted stories across multiple platforms.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-government-agencies-hit-global-cyber-attack-cnn-2023-06-15/
https://www.politico.eu/article/france-accuses-russia-of-wide-ranging-disinformation-campaign/
Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meets in Brussels
The 13th Ukraine Defense Contact Group met in Brussels with nearly 50 countries sending representatives. We can expect a major release once the event wraps up related to ongoing aid and weapons to be provided to Ukraine. The previous meeting resulted in a decision to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 and it sounds like this session will focus around air defense and armored vehicle support.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/15/ukraine-war-marathon-austin-00102111
Chechen Fighters Moved To Border Region
Members of the Ahkmat Battalion, also known as Kadyrovites, were moved to the Belgorod region of Russia as a response to the recent border incursions. Members of the unit hail from Chechnya and fall under the Rosgvardiya or National Guard of Russia. Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, posted to his Telegram channel that his forces will be tied in with the Ministry of Defense with the goal of preventing sabotage attacks. The Chechen fighters have taken part in combat operations in Ukraine, notably in and around Mariupol in the spring of 2022 but have not played a major role since.
40+ Killed In Uganda School Attack
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) whose leader in 2019 pledged his and his group’s allegiance to the Islamic State, is suspected as behind a brutal attack in Uganda. Details are still murky but at at least 41 bodies have been recovered, including 38 students, after an attack at the Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe.
It’s believed that at least six of the students and/or teachers were abducted by the group as they moved back across the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Survivors said that the attackers opened fire from the outside, driving students into their dormitories at which point they set fire to the building.
The ADF pledged their loyalties to Islamic State in 2019 and fall under their Central Africa Province. The group has been engaged in battles with the Uganda military for years and it’s believed this attack was to relieve stress from those operations and to show they can still strike at will.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/17/dozens-killed-in-attack-on-ugandan-school-near-drc-border