Macron warns France could face Russian drone attacks and projects new troop mobilization

Drone threat assessments

In a live television interview broadcast jointly by TF1 and France 2 on 24 September 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the growing risk of Russian sabotage operations across Western Europe. Macron stated that France could become the target of an explosive drone attack comparable to the attempted strike at Leipzig airport in eastern Germany in early August. German authorities attributed that incident, in which an explosive-laden drone targeting a Ukrainian cargo aircraft failed to detonate, to Russian operatives. Macron explained that Moscow views the European continent as the strategic depth of Ukraine in the ongoing war. While France has not yet experienced an identical strike on its own soil, the president stated that domestic authorities must actively prepare for such scenarios.

Asked directly whether such an attack could happen in France, Macron confirmed the possibility.

When you ask me the question, could this happen, my answer is yes.

Mobilization forecasts and battlefield toll

Macron also evaluated the status of Russian military manpower more than four and a half years after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He described intelligence and analytical scenarios predicting a new Russian mobilization of roughly 300,000 soldiers as credible. Russia previously instituted a partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists in September 2022. According to Macron, the Russian government remains prepared to accept severe manpower costs to capture the entire Donbas region, despite having already lost approximately 1.2 million soldiers killed or wounded. He noted that while the front line has remained largely stabilized since autumn 2022 following Ukrainian counter-offensives, Moscow continues to commit substantial resources to grinding territorial pushes.

Macron addressed the strategic messaging coming from Moscow regarding its war aims in eastern Ukraine.

The signal that Russia is sending today is: we are ready to make even more sacrifices to take the whole Donbas.

Intelligence reports and domestic security

During the interview, Macron addressed foreign media reports claiming that United States intelligence had issued specific warnings about imminent maritime drone operations. Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that Russian shadow fleet vessels navigating the Mediterranean Sea could launch Gerbera drones against strategic sites in France, Spain, or Italy. Macron denied that the Central Intelligence Agency had transmitted any such warning to French intelligence agencies. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that hostile Russian actions, including cyber warfare and disinformation campaigns, have expanded across Europe in recent weeks. To counter these hybrid threats, the French government convened regional prefects to increase security at key civilian and military sites, while utilizing the Viginum agency to combat state-sponsored disinformation.

Military assistance and diplomatic proposals

Macron confirmed that France recently concluded an agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to deliver additional radar systems and missiles to bolster Ukrainian air defenses. The French president also addressed the broader economic and energy dimensions of the conflict, reiterating his proposal for a mutual moratorium on energy and maritime strikes. Under that framework, Ukraine would halt attacks on Russian domestic energy infrastructure, while Russia would cease targeting Black Sea shipping and ports. Regarding rising domestic fuel prices, Macron pointed out that market pressures are primarily driven by maritime tensions in the Strait of Hormuz rather than Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. He added that France is actively participating in security initiatives to protect critical oil infrastructure, including terminals in Saudi Arabia.