Officials reported damage to French telecoms infrastructure early Monday, causing local power outages and raising concerns about further national disruptions as the country hosts the Olympic Games.
Secretary of State for Digital Affairs Marina Ferrari stated that France’s telecoms network experienced isolated outages due to overnight damage in several regions. This comes within days of arson attacks on the country’s rail network, which disrupted travel for 800,000 people over the weekend as the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony kicked off in Paris.
Normal train service resumed on the French rail network by Monday, but authorities reported damage to telecoms infrastructure causing local power outages and potential national disruption. Ferrari mentioned that fiber optic, fixed telephone, and mobile services might face localized issues, with operators working on repairs. She condemned the actions as “cowardly and irresponsible” in a statement on social platform X.
The connection between the telecoms vandalism and the recent rail network damage remains unclear. The Kremlin pre-emptively denied any involvement in the rail attack, with Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing the notion as “fake news,” according to state-owned news agency Tass.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told France 2 TV that his ministry had identified profiles of several individuals related to the rail attack. He suggested that the “deliberate, very precise” actions were generally associated with far-left activists, without mentioning any specific campaign or political party and providing no evidence for the claim.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the arson and other damages that stalled service on France’s high-speed rail lines.
