Macron says France sees signs Russia is preparing to mobilize 300,000 more men

French President Emmanuel Macron told TF1 that tensions were rising across Europe as Russia stepped up hostile actions. “But yes, the situation really is growing more tense — for Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since February 2022, and for us Europeans, because the number of hostile acts [by Russia] across Europe has risen sharply in recent weeks,” Macron said.

Macron said the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had not provided France with information about an alleged Russian plan to launch drones from civilian ships to attack countries in southern Europe.

Journalists asked Macron whether France could be targeted by Russian drones, referring to Germany’s claim that Russia had been preparing to carry out sabotage at Leipzig Airport using drones.

“My answer is yes. Let’s be clear: Russia sees Europe as a strategic support base for Ukraine because Europeans are helping Ukraine. […] For years, we’ve been the target of information operations and cyberattacks. […] France has not seen attacks like those in Leipzig. But we must take a clear-eyed view of how the threat is evolving. We must prepare,” Macron said.

Macron also said France considered it plausible that Russia might decide to mobilize 300,000 people. He said there were “several signs” that Russia was preparing to do so. “The question is whether Russia will announce it publicly,” Macron said.

On September 18, Macron met with leaders of France’s political parties, then instructed the government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure, including defense industry facilities, from drone attacks and cyberattacks. He accused Russia of trying to intimidate European countries and weaken support for Ukraine.