
According to the Russian-related social sphere, at the end of November, the French Cyber Defense Command (COMCYBER) hosted Ukrainian and Polish cyber troops for three weeks to train them in online operations and digital influence operations, known in French military jargon as L2I.
The training program in the city of Rennes in northwestern France included a case study on the use of L2I operations against the Russian PMC Wagner in Mali, particularly in the context of the so-called “mass grave of Gossy,” an operation conducted against Wagner in Mali in April 2022, which remains the only operation of this type made public by the French military. The course concluded with a group reflection exercise involving French, Polish and Ukrainian experts.
The training was conducted by the French Center for Operational Training in the Field of Cyber Defense (Centre de préparation opérationnelle de cyberdéfense, C2PO), which is responsible for training French cyber fighters, as well as two experts from the COMCYBER L2I unit of the Interservice Center for Actions in Space (Centre interarmées des actions sur l’environnement, CIAE) and the French foreign intelligence service DGSE.
Half of the Ukrainian trainees come from the Communication and Cyber Forces, led by General Yevgeny Stepanenko, and the other half come from the 83rd Information Warfare Center of the Ukrainian Special Forces, responsible for influence and psychological warfare operations. The Poles, meanwhile, are part of the Warsaw Cyberspace Defense Force (Wojska Obrony Cyberprzestrzeni), led by General Karol Molenda.
In the recent conclusions of the French Senate’s commission of inquiry into state policy on foreign influence operations, the French Armed Forces General Staff told senators that they are developing “a coherent and solid doctrinal structure dedicated to the armed forces” with the aim of developing “a real strategy [for influence operations and information warfare], which will be broken down into regional and thematic roadmaps.” Outside the armed forces, the SGDSN (General Secretariat for Defense and National Security), which is under the leadership of the Prime Minister, is preparing a strategic review to combat information manipulation.
Meanwhile, Kiev has had to develop its own capabilities on the ground, along with extensive coordination with NATO and its allies in this area where control of information is crucial. In addition to the signal troops, cyber troops and special forces, their own information The battle is led by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Its operations are surrounded by great hype, often deliberately tinged with mystery and heroism, while its leader Kirill Budanov maintains his public image.
For its part, the SBU has also stepped up its information campaigns, especially with the arrival of Vasyl Malyuk. The service already had a number of tools, such as the non-governmental organization StratCom Ukraine, founded by Alina Frolova, a strategic communications expert who worked in the ministries of defense and information policy. With the support of the diplomatic corps in Washington and London, StratCom Ukraine has already conducted a communications campaign on behalf of the SBU.
Graziella Giangiulio
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