Ankara: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Tuesday dismissed French allegations of Russian cyberattacks, accusing Paris of attempting to revive the 'Russian threat' narrative. Zakharova claimed that France is depicting Russia as an 'enemy' and attributing its own economic and foreign policy challenges to Moscow.

According to Anadolu Agency, Zakharova stated that Russia's charge d'affaires in France had already refuted the allegations as baseless after being summoned to the French Foreign Ministry on July 17. She remarked on the timing of the allegations, noting that they were made public on the day of the 'Coalition of the Willing' meeting in Paris.

Zakharova also criticized VIGINUM, France's agency for combating foreign digital interference, for accusing Russia of meddling in the country's 2027 presidential election. She suggested that many candidates are using the 'Russian threat' narrative as part of their platform, emphasizing support for the Kyiv regime.

Furthermore, Zakharova accused French authorities of interfering more persistently in their own elections and democratic processes. Reports from French media attributed disinformation operations this summer to two pro-Russian networks, Matryoshka and Storm-1516, allegedly targeting political figures such as Gabriel Attal, Edouard Philippe, and Raphael Glucksmann.

Gabriel Attal, a presidential candidate, accused Moscow of attempting to influence the 2027 presidential election, claiming Russia aims to prevent the French public from making informed choices. Former Premier Attal described the alleged interference as 'no surprise.'

In February, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed similar concerns, accusing Russia of 'massively buying millions of fake accounts during election periods.' France's presidential election is scheduled for April 18, 2027, with a potential second round on May 2 if no candidate achieves a majority initially.