French Army's Fake Recruitment Site for Ukraine War Shut Down: Disinformation Campaign Suspected
French authorities have shut down a fake recruitment website inviting French volunteers to join the war in Ukraine.
The site, which looked like the French army's genuine recruitment portal, had 200,000 invitations for people to "enlist in Ukraine," prioritizing immigrants.
The site was taken down by French services and was a part of a disinformation campaign, according to the French defense ministry.
The link to the site was posted on X, formerly Twitter, and the ministry warned that it was a fake government site.
A Russian or pro-Russian disinformation campaign is suspected of creating a fake website claiming the French army is preparing to send troops to Ukraine.
The ministry did not name any suspects, but a government official, who requested anonymity, stated that the site showed signs of Russian involvement.
French President Emmanuel Macron's recent hardline stance on the Ukraine conflict may have provoked this disinformation campaign.
The official also mentioned that similar false images of French army convoys moving towards the Ukrainian border had been circulated recently.
A fake website offering recruitment with the title "unit commander Paul" is under investigation by the French defense ministry and government cyber units for potential Russian disinformation and destabilization campaigns against France.
The French government has been actively working to denounce and combat such campaigns aimed at undermining public support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.