FEARFUL IN FRANCE
In response to Russia's intensifying hybrid war against NATO nations, French President Emmanuel Macron has called on his government to develop concrete plans to protect critical infrastructure and defense industrial sites from Russian cyberattacks. Over the past few months, France has suffered numerous digital attacks against its military and government ministries. Russia is also waging cognitive warfare against the French Presidential elections by creating AI deepfakes of candidates to mislead the electorate. Macron expressed confidence in France’s ability to defend its airspace against kinetic threats, however he acknowledged a need for stronger defenses in the information domain.
The threat is acute. Echoing assessments from governments along the Alliance's eastern flank, French intelligence services expect a large-scale attack on the continent by Russia as soon as 2027. (Franceinfo, September 19, 2026)
INTERNATIONAL BANKS AND RUSSIAN SANCTIONS-BUSTING
The Financial Times has obtained a trove of files that reveal a $6.9 billion scheme by Kremlin-backed fintech company A7 to launder money through international banking institutions. A7 was founded by Moldovan Oligarch Ilan Shor and Russian state bank Promsvyazbank to facilitate international monetary transfers after Russia was removed from the SWIFT international financial transaction system following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The fintech firm reportedly used shell companies, impersonated real commercial enterprises, and used fraudulent customs codes to disguise imports of sanctioned goods into the Russian Federation.
The Times reports that A7 routed the majority of its money through Kyrgyz and Emirati financial institutions for transfer to accounts based in China. After over a year of operations, some Western financial institutions finally suspended accounts associated with A7 due to money laundering concerns. However, UAE-based accounts were able to fool anti-money laundering inquiries with their extensive repository of false documentation. (Financial Times, September 21, 2026)
MORE AFRICANS TO THE FRONT LINES
In the face of manpower shortages and falling recruitment for Vladimir Putin's "special military operation," the Russian military is continuing to recruit citizens of several African states to fight in Ukraine. Russian military recruiters are reportedly enticing Africans living in extreme poverty to come to Russia by promising wealth and prosperity, where they force their victims to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense. The victims of this practice are deceived or coerced into combat roles due to linguistic differences, false promises of service far from the front with massive payouts, or via threats of visa cancellation. Thereafter, these soldiers are used as cannon fodder as part of a Russian offensive strategy that relies on superior numbers to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses. The All Eyes On Wagner Project estimates that the average African soldier in the Russian Army lasts only six months on the front lines until they are killed or captured by the Ukrainian armed forces.
Russia is said to primarily target citizens of Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda, Algeria, and Mali for recruitment, leveraging the deep penetration of Russian propaganda outlets into these states. Many of those governments have condemned the practice, but with the exception of Kenya none have taken concrete steps to curb Russian recruitment within their borders. (RTE, September 23, 2026)
WASHINGTON WARNS MOSCOW OF SOVIET-STYLE COLLAPSE
CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly warned Russian officials that Russia's economy could collapse in a Soviet-style crisis if the war continues, according to a senior diplomat familiar with Ratcliffe's surprise August visit to Moscow. U.S. intelligence reports indicate that Russia is losing the war as its military and economic positions deteriorate, and Russia is unlikely to be able to sustain the conflict. The underlying U.S. message to Moscow was simply that Russia must engage in negotiations. (UNITED24, September 29, 2026)