The French media La Montagne did not publish an article entitled ‘’Sanctions against Russia led to a bedbug epidemic in Paris.” Most likely, a screenshot of this publication was created in a photo editor. Mass appearances of bedbugs are not related to anti-Russian sanctions, but to the insects adapting to insecticides, climate change and people beginning to travel more in crowded transport.
The Kremlin’s propaganda uses every opportunity to spread disinformation about how allegedly futile and harmful anti-Russian sanctions are. Bedbugs appearing in public places in France was no exception. For example, some social media users and anonymous Telegram channels spread information that the French media La Montagne allegedly blames Russia for the invasion of bugs. In some sources, also citing La Montagne, it is stated that anti-Russian sanctions are to blame for the issue, since France was unable to purchase the necessary means against insects in Russia.
However, the information spreading online is fake, and the article in La Montagne was completely made up for propaganda purposes.
To begin with, the French media La Montagne never published an article entitled “Les sanctions contre la Russie on entraigne une epidemie de punaises de lit a Paris” (“Sanctions against Russia led to an epidemic of bedbugs in Paris”). The screenshot circulating online shows that this article allegedly appeared on the publication’s website on October 4. However, StopFake journalists were unable to find it either through a Google search, or by using keywords on the La Montagne website, as well as in the preserved version of the website in the Internet Archive. A screenshot of this post was most likely created in a photo editor.
French media have repeatedly written about how Russia uses the subject of bedbugs to spread disinformation about Ukrainians in France. For example, France 24 and Liberation previously wrote that Russian anonymous Telegram channels falsely blame the arrival of Ukrainian refugees for the bedbugs influx.
French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau urged not to panic over bedbugs spotted on public transport in Paris. He assured that no “invasion of bedbugs” is taking place.
At the same time, Politico journalists report that bedbugs have ceased to be a serious domestic problem in France since the 1950s. In the last 30 years, they have reappeared, but this has nothing to do with anti-Russian sanctions. Scientists believe that the mass cases of bed bugs are related to insects adapting to insecticides, climate change and people beginning to travel more in crowded transport.
Previously, StopFake journalists refuted disinformation about the French allegedly destroying wines and cutting down vineyards due to anti-Russian sanctions.
