The photo was posted by a Ukrainian citizen, Volodymyr Shpynov, who lives in Paris.
Volodymyr Ariev, Ukrainian MP and Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe wrote on his FB page that the vandalism was linked to the “Yellow Vests” protests (gilets jaunes) that started online in May 2018 and led to demonstrations that began in France on November 17, 2018.
“The “Yellow Vests” attacked banks, supermarkets, bourgeois shops and the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Paris. I see a Frenchman wearing a yellow vest, hitting the plaque with a sort of half-pike and shouting “sssuuqqqaaa!” (сука – bitch in Russian-Ed).” wrote Ariev.
The “Yellow Vests” movement has mobilized hundreds of thousands of people in France protesting government plans to increase excise taxes on fuel. There have been clashes with the police and French security forces, resulting in hundreds of detained and many injured.
After the turmoil in Paris in early December, the tax increase was canceled, but protests continued under general anti-government slogans. French authorities maintain that the “Yellow Vests” movement is being hijacked by violent political extremist groups.
“These past three weeks have seen the birth of a monster that has escaped its creators.” French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told a press conference.
On December 8, more than 420 persons were taken into custody in Paris. The police also used tear gas and flash-balls against demonstrators.
The same day, two French supporters of the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DNR”) – Xavier Moreau and Fabrice Sorlin – joined the protests and rallies in Paris.
On his Vkontakte page, Moreau published a photo of himself and Sorlin posing with the “DNR” flag on the Champs Elysées in Paris.
Fabrice Sorlin is the former head of the nationalist organization Dies Irae, member of Marie Le Pen’s ultra-right National Front, and former president of the France-Europe-Russia Alliance, whose goal is to strengthen ties between Europe and Russia, unite “Christian civilizations”, and stand against “the rise of Islam” and “American hegemony”.
Sorlin is also member of the so-called Katehon think tank.
“Katehon’s Supervisory Board includes the well-known ideologue of the “Russian world” Alexander Dugin, meaning that the organization is under the patronage and funding of the Russian GRU.” writes Ukrainian MP Dmytro Tymchuk, coordinator of the Information Resistance Group.
Media also links Sorlin with a prominent member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation – Andrei Klimov.
Xavier Moreau calls himself an independent analyst and businessman. He founded the Stratpol think tank, and is often quoted in the Russian media. He is also the author of La Nouvelle Grande Russie (The New Great Russia) and Ukraine. Pourquoi la France s’est trompée? (Ukraine: Why France got it all wrong?). He has resided in Moscow for the last 15 years where he set up a consulting and security company – LinkIT Vostok.
It is known that both Sorlin and Moreau visited the occupied territories of the Donbas in Ukraine.
Moreau also participated in the inauguration of the so-called “representation office of the DNR” in Marseille (France). In addition, he was an “observer” during the pseudo-elections in the “DNR” on November 11, 2018.
“So, if anyone doubts the ties between these two “peaceful protesters” and the special services of the Russian Federation, particularly the GRU (Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation), we would like to welcome them to the club of simpletons.” notes Dmytro Tymchuk.
Tymchuk adds that it’s worth reminding the French of one thing: wherever the GRU casts its shadow, the smell of blood and death appears… as in the Salisbury case.
More about Kremlin connections to the French far-right.
