By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

Paris Railway Attack

French detectives are continuing to investigate the culprits of a 'massive arson attack' on the country's railway network ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the 'coordinated arson attack' which damaged infrastructure along key lines connecting to Paris where the opening ceremony was staged on Friday night. 

The methods used by the arsonists, who set multiple fires at cabling boxes close to junctions on the North, Brittany, and South-West lines, resemble those used by far-left or environmentalist protesters in the past, a security source claimed.

French military personnel patrol outside Gare du Nord station in Paris after a 'coordinated' attack on rail infrastructure:

Although analysts also fear Moscow may be responsible with some suggesting a correlation between acts of sabotage and Russian fury over their national team being excluded from the games.

France's transport minister Patrice Vergriete said in a press conference on Saturday that the railway network was on 'high alert' following the attacks, but admitted there is 'no new evidence' surrounding the identities of the culprits.

The methods used by the arsonists, who set multiple fires at cabling boxes close to junctions on the North, Brittany, and South-West lines, resemble those used by far-left or environmentalist protesters in the past, a security source claimed. 

However, analysts also fear Moscow may be responsible with some suggesting a correlation between acts of sabotage and Russian fury over their national team being excluded from the games.

French detectives are continuing to investigate the culprits of a 'massive arson attack' on the country's railway network ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony. Pictured: French gendarmes stand in position near the River Seine.

Railway employees and French gendarmes inspect the scene of a suspected attack on the high-speed railway network at Croiselles in northern France on Friday:

The junior minister said there are '250 extra employees in the security sector on the railways', adding: 'We are working full tilt to get things back to normal.'

'The return to normal is expected completely for Monday,' he said. 'Today, the situation has improved. Traffic is normal on the TGV Est.'

'We are today going to have talks with the minister and leaders of the railway workers.

'There is no new evidence so far (of who the perpetrators are) so the priority is to get the network back to normal.

'The Paris prosecutor is in charge of the investigation so that is his job and the interior minister and I know it is his priority to find the suspects.

'I think there will be some disturbances (for Olympic supporters) tomorrow.

'Certainly, for today and tomorrow, there will be emergency transport measures. For the time being, we will be on high alert in terms of supervising the network.'

As well as fingers being pointed at far-left groups, experts have suggested a correlation between acts of sabotage and Russian fury over their national team being excluded from the games.

Security analyst Alex Kokcharov told MailOnline: 'Russia has both the intent and capability to attempt sabotage acts in Europe, especially in France. Russian intent is largely linked to the fact that Russia was not invited to the Olympic games.'

'At this stage, traffic will remain disrupted on Sunday on the North axis and should improve on the Atlantic axis for weekend returns,' it says.

'Customers will be contacted by text message and email to confirm the running of their trains.'

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said to the press, after a meeting with the King of Spain Felipe VI on Friday. 'What happened is unacceptable, but it will have no impact on the ceremony tonight, because it has no consequences on the transport network of the Île-de-France region,' she added.

France's former ambassador to Moscow, Jean de Gliniasty, said Russia could very well be behind the sabotage but also pointed to far-left protesters can blame.

He said that the involvement of left-wing radicals could not be ruled, arguing that protests in the country have 'got out of hand' in recent years. Mr de Gliniasty added in an interview with LCI: 'We are obviously in a situation of conflict with Russia, and Russia is not going to do anything, and that is an understatement, to help these Olympic Games be a success.

'And so we're going to come up against a lot of difficulties of this kind, either direct or indirect.'

It was warned back in April that Moscow has made 'thousands' of attempts to interfere with European rail networks in a campaign to destabilize the EU and sabotage infrastructure. 

The claims were made by the Czech Republic's transport minister Martin Kupka, who told the FT that 'thousands of attempts to weaken our systems' had been made since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Yesterday's dramatic start to the games came after an alleged Russian spy was arrested on Wednesday.

Kirill Gryaznov was charged with working 'with a foreign power to try and incite hostilities in France' after being identified as working for the FSB, Vladimir Putin's domestic intelligence agency.

The 40-year-old reality TV star – who denies any wrongdoing – is said to have boasted about turning the start of the Paris Olympics into 'an opening ceremony like no other'.

The Kremlin fumed that it had read 'curious information' in the media about the arrest of a Russian national, and demanded an explanation from French authorities.

Kirill Gryaznov who denies any wrongdoing – has been identified as working for the FSB, Russia 's Federal Security Service domestic intelligence agency:

Meanwhile, Israel said its historic enemy Iran was to blame for the sabotage on Friday, a claim shared by the country's foreign minister Israel Katz, who gave no further evidence.

'The sabotage of railway infrastructure across France ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics was planned and executed under the influence of Iran's axis of evil and radical Islam,' he wrote on X.

'As I warned my French counterpart this week, based on information held by Israel, Iranians are planning terrorist attacks against the Israeli delegation and all Olympic participants. Increased preventive measures must be taken to thwart their plot.

'The free world must stop Iran now - before it's too late.'

The rail disruption came hours ahead of the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - with many opening ceremony ticketholders desperately scrambling to make the show.

The International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach has said he has 'full confidence in French authorities' after the attacks.

Travelers sit on stairs at the Gare de Montparnasse, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024

Analysts warned in the run up to the Olympics that Russian saboteurs were preparing to disrupt the Games, which their national team is shut out of.

Kokcharov, a Russia analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said that recent activity suggests 'intensifying Russia-linked hybrid warfare operations in Europe'.

He pointed to the arrest of a suspected IED plotter, a Russian-Ukrainian man, on June 3 near Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport as revealing 'possible tactics of Russian state-directed terrorism risks' on the continent.

While experts admit that it can be difficult to directly attribute interference to Moscow, it is clear that 'Russia wants to sow discord and weaken cooperation among European states to help them have their way in Ukraine,' according to Petter Nesser.

The expert on terrorism in Europe told Vox: 'They have shown in the past they can use their spy networks and proxies to sow discord.'

Last month, websites for a French film festival and the Grand Palais, a historic exhibition and museum complex in Paris, shut down after a cyberattack - which researchers tracked to a group of hacktivists affiliated with Russian intelligence.

They reported that the hackers described it as a training exercise, according to Business Standard, and warned that 'judging by the consistency of the group's statements, they intend to carry out large-scale attacks during the Summer Olympics in Paris.'

Prime Minister Attal said the consequences of the attacks on the rail network on Friday are 'massive and serious', and expressed his gratitude to firefighters for putting out the fires. 

He added that 'intelligence services and law enforcement are mobilized to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts.'

Jean-Pierre Farandou, the head of France's rail operator the SNCF, said it was a 'sad day' because families would be the worst affected by what he said were attacks by 'irresponsible cranks'.

Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said the 'criminal actions will compromise the holiday departures of many French people.'

They were focused on the TGV high speed train network which covers the whole of France, and which is particularly busy at this time of year.

The first blaze was detected early on Friday morning near tracks at Courtalain, in the Eure-et-Loir department.

It caused the interruption of traffic on the hugely busy Atlantique high-speed line.

SNCF also referred to a 'malicious act' on the high-speed line between Lille and Paris, in the northern Arras sector.

TGV Inoui and Ouigo trains were diverted to conventional lines, causing cancellations and far longer journey times.

Crowds built up at major Paris stations such as Montparnasse, where trains to and from nearby towns such as Tours and Le Mans were all cancelled.

A spokesman for SNCF said it was the victim of 'a massive arson attack to paralyze the TGV network'

He said the disruption should 'last at least the whole weekend', and would have a knock-on effect across the network.

Olympic organisers have long feared acts of sabotage targeting the multi-billion pound games, and a vast security operation costing £350million has unfolded in Paris to try and counter threats.

The largest peacetime deployment of forces in France's history involves some 75,000 soldiers, police and private security agents.

Gérald Darmanin, France's Interior Ministry, said 'the terrorist threat remains high' and that 'a high level of vigilance' remains essential.

Crowds built up at major Paris stations such as Montparnasse, where trains to and from nearby towns such as Tours and Le Mans were all cancelled.

A spokesman for SNCF said it was the victim of 'a massive arson attack to paralyze the TGV network'

He said the disruption should 'last at least the whole weekend', and would have a knock-on effect across the network.

In the end, more than 300,000 people watched the opening ceremony from bridges and riverbanks as dancers, pop stars, tightrope walkers and others told stories in different ways about French culture and history; global friendship and solidarity, and everything in between. Céline Dion, performed "L’Hymne à L’Amour" by Edith Piaf while perched on the Eiffel Tower in a silver gown.

Footbridges were turned into catwalks. A metal horse galloped down the river, its rider wearing a cape emblazoned with the Olympic rings. An opera singer delivered a spine-tingling song from atop the dizzying heights of the Grand Palais. A 100-foot tall hot-air balloon, ringed by flames, lit the sky and capped the lavish affair that took place in and around some of Paris' most famous landmarks, though it did not obscure the scale of the security challenge.

"It's complicated," said one police officer as he gestured toward the huge security perimeter that was erected along both banks of the Seine to enable 85 boats carrying thousands of athletes from 205 delegations down the river. Watching closely, in and out of public sight, were frogmen, snipers, and powerful AI-assisted cameras.

The ceremony itself unfurled across the Seine River without any major issue other than pouring rain, allowing French security officials to breathe a sigh of relief.

“WE DID IT!” Gérald Darmanin, France’s interior minister, exulted on X, adding that “after four years of intense work to prepare for the world’s biggest sports event, we have never been prouder of our security forces.”

 

 

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