Russia rejects French claims of cyberattacks, election interference

Russia rejects allegations of cyberattacks and interference in France's upcoming presidential election, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Tuesday.



Zakharova described the claims as unfounded and politically motivated. "We see that for many candidates the race for the presidency includes, as an element of their 'mandatory program,' making loud statements about fighting the 'Russian threat,'" she added.



The allegations come from the French government agency Viginum, which counters foreign election interference. This summer, it identified several disinformation attacks, which were attributed to "pro-Russian" networks.



On July 17, Russian Charge d'Affaires Alexander Zezyulin was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry, where he also denied the accusations, describing them as unfounded and unsubstantiated.