Head of the French military intelligence service dismissed

Due to failed Ukraine war forecast

General Eric Vidaud, France's head of military intelligence, has been sacked. The department had poorly analysed the history of the Russian invasion and failed to correctly predict the war, reports AFP. It is about inadequate briefings and a lack of expertise, reported L'Opinion on Thursday 31/03/22.

The army's Chief of Staff, Thierry Burkhard, had already publicly pointed out the service's failings in an interview with the daily newspaper Le Monde. Compared to the US intelligence services, "our services tended to think that the conquest of Ukraine would come at a tremendous price and that the Russians had other options," he said.

When the submarine dispute with Australia took place in 2021, the service was also accused of negligence.

Source: Reuters, L'Opinion, AFP