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Putin’s French soldiers: A lot of noise over a handful of fighters
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in April that there were French soldiers fighting for Russia on the Ukrainian frontlines in a unit dubbed "Normandie-Niemen". Our investigation showed these fighters are, in fact, just a handful of individuals whose presence is amplified by pro-Russian propaganda in a war that is as much about images as it is about words.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in April that there were French soldiers fighting for Russia on the Ukrainian frontlines in a unit dubbed "Normandie-Niemen". Our investigation showed these fighters are, in fact, just a handful of individuals whose presence is amplified by pro-Russian propaganda in a war that is as much about images as it is about words.
