Russian-linked network implicated in spraying over 500 Star of David graffiti in Paris to provoke antisemitic tensions.

In late October 2023, over 250 David Star graffiti appeared on walls in Paris. A second wave of 250 graffiti were sprayed days later in multiple Paris districts and suburbs. Police arrested individuals from Moldova shortly after the first incident and uncovered that these acts were orchestrated by a Russian-linked network. Surveillance footage showed coordinated activity with a photographer accompanying two spray teams. Investigations connected these actions to a 50-year-old Russian-speaking man, Anatoli Prizenko, who claimed the graffiti were acts of solidarity with Jews, despite blue stars mimicking the Israeli flag. French agency Viginum identified that 1095 fake social media accounts created on the day of the event spread photos of the graffiti promoting the pro-Kremlin propaganda platform "RRN" (Reliable and Recent News). Companies behind RRN have Kremlin ties, with its chief's connections to the Russian Duma. Prizenko also has links to Russia, including involvement in financial fraud and lobbying for Moldovan-Russian economic ties.