The tensions between Ukraine and Russia have escalated after the death of two French citizens in Ukraine. The Russian ambassador to France, Alexeï Mechkov, will be summoned on Monday to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to condemn the Russian strikes that killed the two French humanitarian workers in Ukraine. The French government will also denounce the increase in disinformation targeting France.
The incident took place on February 1st in Beryslav, Ukraine, where two French citizens were killed and three others were injured in a Russian attack. The victims were working as humanitarian workers for the Swiss foundation Eper (Protestant Relief Switzerland).
French officials, including Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Stéphane Séjourné and President Emmanuel Macron, have condemned the attack as a barbaric act by the Russians. The French anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the incident.
The tensions have been fueled by accusations and counter-accusations between France and Russia. Moscow has criticized France for militaristic behavior, while France has accused Russia of a disinformation campaign. The two countries have clashed over conflicting reports of military actions in Ukraine.
This is not the first time that Alexeï Mechkov has been summoned by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2022, he was reprimanded for an inappropriate tweet from the Russian embassy, and earlier in the same year, for posting offensive caricatures on the embassy’s Twitter account.
