Tensions between Paris and Moscow are still rising. Nothing is going well between France and Russia. Paris has detected a “coordinated maneuver” by Moscow to spread false information, such as the alleged presence of French “mercenaries” fighting for Kiev in Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said on Friday. “Relevant state services have identified and are pursuing Russia’s coordinated maneuver, including by pro-Russian information networks and state media such as Sputnik News, RT and RIA Novosti, to share and amplify this false information,” the press release said.
Russian diplomacy spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded on Friday by castigating Emmanuel Macron's “militaristic frenzy” following recent announcements of military aid to Kiev. Addressing the French President, she said: “You will not be able to stop us on the road to victory!”
Vladimir Putin accuses Kiev of shooting down a plane in Belgorod. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday it was “blatant” that the Il-76 military transport plane that crashed in the border area on Wednesday was shot down by Ukrainian forces. The plane crashed near the Russian village of Yablonovo, 45 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. According to Russian authorities, the crash killed 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners who were being transferred for an exchange with Kiev.
“The intelligence services of the Ukrainian army knew that we had 65 soldiers (Ukrainian, editor's note) on board. They shot it down, by accident or on purpose, but they did it,” he said in his first comment to Russian students about the crash. “Either way it’s a crime.”
Two Russians are accused of “high treason”. Russia's Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday the arrest of two Russians accused of passing information to Ukraine, particularly about the positions of Moscow's forces on the battlefield. Since the conflict began nearly two years ago, authorities have increased the number of arrests of people suspected of collaborating with Kiev.
The two people, whose identities were not released, were arrested in Rostov-on-Don, a southern city near the border with Ukraine that has become an operations center for Russian forces. They were suspected of “high treason,” a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and were remanded in custody, Russian security services said in a statement.