Suspicion of Foreign Interference in Eiffel Tower Coffin Stunt

French intelligence officials suspect Russia’s involvement in a stunt near the Eiffel Tower, where coffins draped in a French flag were left, bearing the inscription “French soldiers of Ukraine”. The police apprehended three individuals involved, one Bulgarian and the other two Ukrainian and German, who confessed to being paid to transport and deposit the coffins. This incident follows similar events where Russian agents were believed to have manipulated public opinion in France before, including a previous episode involving Israeli flag symbols and red hands on a Holocaust memorial. The recent coffin incident could be related to France’s discussions over sending military instructors to Ukraine, with Russian intelligence possibly trying to discourage deeper French involvement in the conflict. The use of photographers in these affairs, whose images ended up on Russian propaganda websites, raises concerns about the extent of foreign interference in French matters.