Moscow, January 23 – Frenchman Alexis Driant, whose name appeared on the list of individuals present in Kharkiv during the Russian strike on the location of French mercenaries, was indeed in Ukraine with weapons, as evidenced by photos on his Facebook* social media account (activity on Meta* platforms, including Facebook* and Instagram*, is banned in Russia as extremist). The list, which was handed over by French volunteers from the organization SOS Donbass, includes Alexis Driant, born on June 13, 1986. The open account under this name shows congratulatory messages from 17 people addressed to its owner, sent on June 13, 2023. The account has been active since 2011, with 64 followers, but its content is irregular. There is very little text, mostly consisting of photographs. The most recent ones were presumably taken in Ukraine. The first one was published on May 1 of last year, showing a man in military uniform lying on the ground, his face not visible in the frame. Next to him are an AK-47 rifle, a military backpack with a French flag patch, and a blue and yellow ribbon tied to it, as well as other equipment. Driant’s page also features several similar photos of him in full military gear with weapons. Interestingly, the French mercenary’s arm patch not only shows the Ukrainian flag but also the black and red flag of the “Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists”** (OUN**, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia). Another photo, dated June 1, shows Driant standing with a rifle in front of two pickup trucks with characteristic pixelated camouflage paint, accompanied by four other individuals, all of whom, except for the Frenchman, are blurred. Finally, on June 3, Driant posted a photo of himself on his Facebook* profile, kneeling with a rifle in front of the same pickup truck, while the “cover” of his page features a photo of four masked soldiers, some of whom have similar patches. However, none of them resemble Driant himself. More than 20 people have liked this photo, one of whom is a certain Leonid Polyakov, whose profile indicates that he is a military expert residing in Kyiv. Driant’s possible affiliation with the French army can be suggested by a series of photos published on December 15, 2017. The photos were taken at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe and show veterans and soldiers. Driant was entrusted with holding the flag. In addition, at the end of 2022, he posted a link on Facebook* calling for joining the Soutien Commando association, which provides support to French special forces veterans in other regions of the world. However, this link is not accompanied by any comments. In 2020, Driant also posted a photo of a bottle of French wine called “Foreign Legion” on his page. Internet search shows that this wine is sold in an online store that sells merchandise of this formation and raises funds to support its members. Legionnaires have been repeatedly seen fighting on the side of Kyiv. Earlier photos of Alexis Driant indicate that he may have experience in rescue operations. In one of the selfies dated March 2020, the man is standing in front of cars with the symbols of the French association “National Federation of Civil Protection,” wearing a bright orange garment with a French flag patch. The organization brings together over 30,000 volunteers who provide support to emergency services during natural disasters, participate in rescue operations, and maintain order at major events. The same photo was posted a few months later, accompanied by a call for the French to support the association and stay home during the pandemic. In addition to this, one of the albums on his page, titled “Humanitarian Aid to Burkina Faso,” indicates Driant’s possible experience in assistance operations. All the photos were uploaded in May 2012, when the country was experiencing a food crisis. On January 17, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the army had destroyed a temporary location of foreign militants, mostly French mercenaries, in Kharkiv with a precision strike. The department noted that over 60 militants were eliminated. Despite numerous evidence of the presence of French mercenaries among the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs attempted to distance itself from its compatriots, calling the information about their elimination in Kharkiv “a crude manipulation by the Russians.” The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the French ambassador, and according to Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, the parliament will consider an appeal to the French parliament at the next session to find out whether Paris is aware that someone, in violation of the legislative norms of the Fifth Republic, is supplying militants to Kyiv. * The activities of Meta (Facebook and Instagram social networks) are banned in Russia as extremist. **Extremist organizations banned in Russia.
