French intelligence warned of the risk of more direct and brutal hybrid attacks

French domestic intelligence warned of the risk that hybrid threats in Europe may enter a more direct and violent phase. In France, defense and technology companies, their suppliers, as well as energy and communication infrastructure are at heightened risk.

This was stated by the Director General of the French General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), Céline Berthon, during the annual forum of the French employers' federation Medef.

One of the signals for French intelligence was the incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, where in early August a drone with explosives was found near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane.

According to Berthon, the nature of this incident forces France to consider a scenario in which hostile actions could become "more direct" and "more brutal" and occur directly on French territory.

Defense companies and critical infrastructure under threat

First of all, the DGSI sees risks for enterprises in the defense and technology sectors.

At the same time, potential targets could be not only large arms manufacturers, but also the entire chain of companies working for the French defense industrial base: suppliers, subcontractors, and producers of critical components.

Berthon separately named energy and communications among the vulnerable sectors, i.e., infrastructure whose disruption could have much wider consequences for the country's economy.

The head of the DGSI called on French companies to take into account in their plans the possibility of further deterioration of the security situation.

According to her, against the background of a strengthening Russian position, France must proceed from a scenario of further growth of threats to enterprises.

The number of hybrid operations has risen sharply

Berthon stated a rapid increase in the number of hybrid threats after the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

This is not only about cyberattacks. French services record attempts to interfere in the work of economic, scientific and state structures, intelligence operations, information influence, as well as the use of local proxies to carry out violent actions.

Such operations, according to the DGSI, may be aimed both at strategic enterprises and at destabilizing political processes. This is especially relevant for France ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.

At the same time, Berthon did not directly name Russia as the organizer of the drone incident in Leipzig. The German investigation continues, and Moscow denies its involvement.

The Leipzig incident was a signal for European intelligence services

The explosive drone was found on 4 August near the cargo area of Leipzig/Halle Airport. Nearby was a Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft used for transporting military cargo.

The German Federal Prosecutor's Office established that the drone was equipped with professional explosives and a detonator. The agency called the incident a serious attack on Germany's transport and logistics infrastructure, which could have posed a threat to the country's internal and external security.

Leipzig/Halle is of particular importance for European logistics: the airport is a major cargo hub and is used, in particular, within NATO logistics operations and transports related to support for Ukraine.

After the incident, German authorities also stepped up public warnings about hybrid threats. Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that those responsible for such attacks should face real consequences, and Berlin is working to strengthen anti-drone protection and intelligence capabilities to counter the organizers of hybrid operations.

The French military also warns about the drone threat

During the same forum, the Chief of the Defence Staff of the French Armed Forces, Fabien Mandon, drew attention to another problem: the country's lag in the production of cheap drones and means to counter mass attacks.

According to him, the war in Ukraine showed the effectiveness of using large volumes of relatively cheap drones, while the traditional defense model of France was created primarily to counter more expensive and complex weapons systems.

The warnings from intelligence and the military came amid a discussion by French businesses about the need to better protect strategic assets and adapt industry to the conditions of a prolonged security confrontation in Europe.

Based on materials from: Le Journal du Dimanche, Internazionale, Euractiv