Likely French presidential candidate claims Russian smear campaign targeted him

Raphaël Glucksmann, a center-left Member of the European Parliament and a likely candidate in next year's French presidential election, said on Tuesday that he was the target of a disinformation campaign linked to Russia's intelligence services.

In a post on X, Glucksmann, who is expected to announce his presidential bid in the coming weeks, said France's Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security had informed him about a "Russian operation" that was "directly controlled by the GRU," Russia's military intelligence agency.

The revelation comes amid reports that former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, who has already confirmed his presidential candidacy, was also targeted by a Russian disinformation campaign last week. Additionally, several local candidates from the left-wing France Unbowed movement, known for its pro-Palestinian stance, were allegedly targeted by an Israeli firm earlier this year.