France has fired Russian spies operating under diplomatic cover

France's Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, praised an "extraordinary counterintelligence operation." Image Credit: Getty

Russia's spies operating under diplomatic cover have been expelled from France. On the same day as the first round of the presidential election, a covert operation was found.

Six Russian spies "working under diplomatic cover" were discovered by the French secret service (DGSI) as part of a "clandestine operation."

The French foreign ministry stated Monday evening that the operation "conducted by Russian intelligence agencies" on French soil had been disrupted. According to the statement, the operation was carried out by "six Russian spies operating under diplomatic cover whose activities have proven to be adverse to our national interests." On Sunday, the first round of the French presidential election, the undercover Russian operation was found.

The Russian agents were proclaimed persona non grata, and the Russian embassy's second-in-command was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday evening.

Gerald Darmanin, the French Interior Minister, commended a "great counterespionage operation" and congratulated the DGSI, which he claimed "looks over our fundamental interests" on Twitter. He confirmed that the Russian operatives engaged will be forced to flee the country.

France expelled 35 Russian diplomats a week ago, the largest eviction of Russian officials since the so-called Farewell Dossier in 1983, when French authorities booted out 40 Soviet agents thanks to documents handed to French authorities by Vladimir Vetrov, a KGB defector codenamed "Farewell."

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