Tensions are still rising between Paris and Moscow. Nothing is good between France and Russia. Paris has identified a “concerted maneuver” by Moscow to spread false information about French “mercenaries” fighting for Kyiv in Ukraine, the Armed Forces Ministry announced on Friday. “Relevant government services have identified and followed a concerted ploy by Russia, including pro-Russian information networks and state media such as Sputnik News, RT and RIA Novosti, to relay and amplify this disinformation,” the press release said.

A spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, responded on Friday by slamming Emmanuel Macron's “military fanaticism.” Addressing the French president, he said, “You cannot stop us from winning!”

Vladimir Putin blamed the shooting down of the plane in Belgorod. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that it was “obvious” that the Il-76 military transport plane that crashed over the border was shot down by Ukrainian forces. The plane crashed near the Russian village of Yablonovo, 45 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. Russian officials say 74 people were killed in the crash, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners.

“The intelligence services of the Ukrainian army knew that we carried 65 soldiers (Ukrainian, editor's note). They shot him down by mistake or on purpose, but they did it,” he said during his first remarks to Russian students. accident “Anything is a crime.”

Two Russians were charged with “high treason”. The Russian Security Services (FSB) announced on Friday the arrest of two Russians accused of providing information to Ukraine, particularly on the positions of Moscow's forces on the battlefield. Since the start of the conflict, nearly two years ago, authorities have increased the number of arrests of people suspected of collaborating with Kyiv.

The two men, whose identities have not been released, were arrested in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, near the border with Ukraine, which has become an operational hub for Russian forces. They are being held in pretrial detention on suspicion of “high treason,” a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, Russian security services said in a statement.