On April 16, 2026, a Paris correctional court handed down sentences to seven Moldovan citizens involved in a politically charged vandalism campaign. As reported by the French publication Actu.fr, the individuals were fined for painting graffiti of coffins referencing the war in Ukraine. This psychological operation visibly coincided with official statements from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine regarding the long-awaited delivery of Western fighter jets.
The court ordered five of the defendants to pay fines of €1,000 each. Another participant was fined €7,000, while the organizer of the group received the maximum penalty of €10,000. Notably, none of the accused were present at the final hearing, which took place earlier on February 23. Despite the French prosecution’s strong push for prison sentences under the severe charge of “demoralizing the army,” the court ultimately acquitted the defendants of this primary accusation, treating the acts largely as coordinated vandalism.
The incidents that triggered the extensive investigation occurred in June 2024. During that period, stenciled images of coffins bearing the provocative inscription “French soldiers in Ukraine” were discovered on the walls of the French National Assembly. Just weeks later, similar graffiti appeared on the headquarters of major media outlets, including Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Le Figaro. These drawings were accompanied by bold slogans such as “Stop the death now!” and “Mriya Ukraine” (Dream of Ukraine).
The vandalism campaign appeared highly organized and specifically targeted French military assistance to Kyiv. In three districts of Paris, police documented stencils of coffins featuring airplane wings and the text “Mirages for Ukraine.” This was perceived as a direct response to President Emmanuel Macron’s promises to supply Ukrainian forces with Mirage 2000 fighter jets. Furthermore, authorities investigated a parallel incident where five actual coffins covered in French flags were left near the Eiffel Tower.
French intelligence services and international experts widely consider these acts to be part of a broader Russian hybrid warfare and foreign interference campaign aimed at destabilizing Europe and eroding public support for Ukraine. The coffin graffiti shares striking similarities with other recent provocations in France, such as the painting of Stars of David on residential buildings, red handprints on the Holocaust Memorial, and the placing of severed pig heads near mosques. The Moldovan government has strongly condemned the use of its citizens in these Kremlin-linked psychological operations, viewing it as an attempt to tarnish Moldova’s international reputation.