France orders new drone and cyber protections for critical infrastructure

France raises its defensive posture

French President Emmanuel Macron has instructed his government to prepare a plan protecting critical infrastructure and sensitive defence-industry sites from drone and cyberattacks. The order followed a September 18 meeting at the Élysée Palace with leaders of France’s parliamentary parties and senior security officials. Macron’s office said France was increasing vigilance as European governments confront a broader pattern of cyber incidents, suspected sabotage and unauthorized drone activity linked by officials to an intensifying Russian hybrid threat.

The instruction is a concrete planning decision rather than an announcement that a conventional Russian attack is imminent. The French government must identify vulnerable facilities, strengthen protection of strategic industrial locations and improve its readiness against both physical drones and network intrusions. The Élysée also connected the work to efforts against foreign interference, presenting the measures as part of national resilience rather than a purely military programme.

A wider European security response

France’s decision came amid parallel warnings and preparations elsewhere in Europe. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said intelligence assessments indicated a risk that Russia could stage drone or missile incidents against countries supporting Ukraine and attempt to portray them as accidental. Lithuanian officials said allied governments had discussed similar scenarios, while Finland urged public preparedness without panic. Switzerland separately adopted a security strategy prioritising resilience against hybrid and long-range threats.

NATO’s updated resilience requirements provide the wider institutional context. They call for energy, water, communications, food, transport and health services to keep functioning during crises or conflict. NATO has not said that a Russian military attack on an ally is imminent, an important distinction from the warnings about sabotage, cyber operations, airspace incidents and coercive signalling that may remain below the threshold of open war.

What the plan must resolve

The French order now moves responsibility to the government, security agencies, prefects and infrastructure operators. Their challenge is to convert a broad threat assessment into practical measures: detecting small drones, hardening networks, protecting defence supply chains, sharing intelligence and maintaining essential services during disruption. The costs, deadlines and division of responsibility between the state and private operators have not yet been fully detailed.

The next evidence to watch will be the scope of the government’s protection plan, any new regulatory obligations for operators and whether France coordinates procurement or exercises with European partners. Macron also tied the security review to continued support for Ukraine, meaning the policy will remain connected to Europe’s wider attempt to deter Russian pressure without treating every unexplained incident as a confirmed state attack.