Both French front pages that propagandists cite, along with their headlines, are fabricated. In reality, no such reports exist about Paul Wilkes, the British intelligence officer who died in Ukraine on Sept. 12, 2026.
Front pages of French media outlets that supposedly expose the truth about the death of British intelligence officer Paul Wilkes in Ukraine are circulating in the pro-Russian corner of the internet. According to them, he fell victim to “friendly” fire: a grenade clumsily thrown by a Ukrainian soldier. “The intelligence war is in full swing,” the propagandists declare.
In fact, both front pages have been doctored. On Sept. 17, the front page of Nice-Matin, a newspaper printed in Nice, led with a local prosecutors’ investigation into €312,000 in unjustified spending by the city’s former mayor, Christian Estrosi, between 2016 and 2025. The cover story of issue No. 1540 of the weekly Marianne dealt with pressure, conformism and a climate of self-censorship in the French media. Neither these nor any other French or international outlets have reported that the British intelligence officer was killed by a grenade thrown by a Ukrainian serviceman.
Maj. Paul Wilkes, a 40-year-old British intelligence officer, died in Ukraine on Saturday, Sept. 12. His death was announced by the UK Ministry of Defence, which gave a road traffic accident as the cause. He was commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2012 and spent his entire military career in the Intelligence Corps. Wilkes completed several operational tours, including in Afghanistan, and was awarded two Operational Service Medals; on May 7, 2026, he received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Lt. Gen. Matthew Jones, Colonel Commandant of the Intelligence Corps, described him as “one of the most talented intelligence officers of his generation.” Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said in a statement that Wilkes had “served this country with pride and dedication.” The loss, he added, is a reminder of the immense sacrifices that service personnel and their families make for the country. A small number of British military personnel are stationed in Ukraine, mainly to provide security for diplomats and to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
We recently debunked another French front page doctored by propagandists in Fake: Les Echos Accused Zelensky of ‘Laughter Over the Bones’ of a Million Dead Ukrainians.
