Kathrine Frich
In a renewed attempt to fracture NATO solidarity, Russia has circulated a forged map claiming to show a coalition plan to divide Ukraine.
In a renewed attempt to fracture NATO solidarity, Russia has circulated a forged map claiming to show a coalition plan to divide Ukraine.
Russia Pushes Disinformation Map
The so-called “leaked” French-language document falsely asserts that four NATO countries intended to deploy troops across Ukrainian territory and claim its resources.
Experts say the stunt is classic Kremlin psyops, designed to sow distrust within the alliance.
Cyber Group Killnet Have Sourced Fake Files
The documents were allegedly obtained by Killnet, a pro-Russian hacker group known for launching cyber attacks on NATO states.
According to their claims, the files were taken from France’s military command centre, Hexagone Balard.
Killnet has previously targeted critical infrastructure across the West, and this marks a shift toward psychological warfare.
The Fake Coalition
The map implies that 50,000 NATO troops were poised to enter Ukraine, each country assigned to specific regions.
It places French forces in the Donbas, while British troops appear near Belarus with command elements in Kyiv.
Intelligence sources have dismissed the plan as entirely fictional and dangerously misleading.
Russian Intelligence Behind the Operation
Sources believe the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, coordinated the creation and release of the forged documents.
“It’s a very serious psyops operation,” one NATO source told The Sunday Express,
Glaring Errors Reveal the Map’s True Origins
The map is riddled with basic mistakes.
Crimea is marked as Russian territory, something NATO does not officially recognise.
Belarus is mistranslated as “Biélarus” — a mistake a native French speaker would not make — and French military titles and names are misspelled.
These linguistic errors strongly suggest the map was made by Russian speakers.
Telegram Fuels Spread of the Forged Map
After first appearing on the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel MASH, the map rapidly spread across social media.
Despite its obvious flaws, it has been picked up by conspiracy theorists and Russian sympathisers, reinforcing fears about how fast disinformation can move online, especially during times of war.
NATO Dismisses Claims as Pure Fabrication
NATO officials have unequivocally denied the existence of such a plan.
No legitimate document or plan of troop division exists, and the map’s lack of operational coherence further supports that.
A senior source stated, “There is no map, no plan, and no basis in reality, only propaganda.”
Russian Jets and Drones Breach Airspace
The disinformation campaign comes amid increased Russian military activity in Europe.
More than 30 drones have crossed into Polish airspace, while MiG fighter jets breached Estonian skies. Airports in Denmark and Norway were also temporarily shut due to drone sightings.
NATO believes these incidents are designed to test Europe’s readiness.
RAF Typhoons Deployed
In response to the provocations, Britain has dispatched RAF Typhoons to Poland as part of Operation Eastern Sentry.
Defence Secretary John Healy approved the move to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank. A senior intelligence official warned,
“These incidents mirror Russia’s behaviour before its invasion of Ukraine. This is very serious.”
Russia’s Longstanding Narrative Tactics
Russia scholar Professor Mark Galeotti said,
“Obviously it’s nonsense, but it’s nonsense that plays to a long-running Russian talking point about not only Ukraine as a mere proxy of the West, but also that the West has sinister imperial designs on Ukraine.”
He stressed that France’s inclusion is no accident, as domestic dissent there makes it fertile ground for Russian influence.
Romania’s Involvement
The forged map also shows Romanian forces operating in areas with ethnic Hungarian populations, a move some say is aimed at stoking paranoia in Hungary.
“One of the lines used by Russian propagandists is that Hungary is being squeezed out, that its interests are being ignored,” said a regional analyst.
Doesn’t Need to Be Convincing
Keir Giles of Chatham House summed it up bluntly: “
This is entirely predictable and entirely in keeping with Russian aims, and also with Russia’s ruthless incompetence… it does not have to create a convincing fake for the disinformation to be seized on by its coalition of useful idiots.”
The goal isn’t to fool experts, but to inflame the easily misled.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation
