Senior British government officials say Russian President Vladimir Putin may have sanctioned hundreds of Russian hooligans to travel to France and cause chaos as part of the Kremlin’s “hybrid warfare.”
“Well-trained” Russian hooligans brutally assaulting soccer fans on the streets of France are the main storyline of the ongoing Euro 2016 soccer tournament. UK government officials investigating the violence Sunday told The Guardian that many suspects identified are in the “uniformed services” in Russia.
The officials fear the hooligans are part of the Kremlin’s strategy to demonstrate Russia’s strength, while creating a narrative for its people of an “anti-Russian sentiment” in Europe.
The violence started when Russia played England in the city of Marseille June 11. Two English fans are in a coma as a result of the violence and several others were injured. (RELATED: 150 ‘Well-Trained’ Russian Hooligans Travel To France To Beat Up Europeans [VIDEO])
Russia has accused French police of provoking the hooligans and even summoned the French ambassador to Russia, Jean-Maurice Ripert, to warn him that “further stoking of anti-Russian sentiments … could significantly aggravate the atmosphere in Russian-French relation.” (RELATED: Kremlin Tells France Relations Are In Danger If It Continues To Arrest Russian Soccer Hooligans)
At least 43 Russian fans have been detained for their part in the violence.
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