French digital vigilance service Viginum has attributed recent disinformation campaigns against presidential candidates Édouard Philippe, Raphaël Glucksmann, and Gabriel Attal to Russian-linked influence operations. The operations, named Storm-1516, CopyCop, and Matriochka, used fake videos, articles, and AI-generated content to spread false claims, including about candidates' health and personal lives. Viginum assesses these as foreign digital interference, with Storm-1516 potentially coordinated by Russian intelligence, aiming to discredit Western politicians and fact-checkers, and to saturate the information space.

More than 170 migrants were rescued on Tuesday after their boat caught fire in the English Channel while attempting to cross from France to the UK. The vessel, which left France on Monday night, had 173 people on board, breaking the previous record for the largest single boat to attempt the crossing. All were taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer, with 11 suffering minor injuries. French prosecutors opened an investigation and an Egyptian national was detained. The incident highlights the dangers of small-boat crossings and the ongoing UK-French cooperation to curb illegal migration, coming as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to be 'relentless' in tackling the issue.

Background: A persistent heatwave had already forced EDF to restrict output at several French nuclear plants due to river temperature limits. Today: France shut down three more reactors—two at Chooz and one at Cattenom—due to low water flows in the Meuse and Moselle rivers, with output reduced at four others (Bugey 3, Tricastin 4, Saint-Alban 1 and 2). The Chooz shutdowns comply with a 1998 Franco-Belgian agreement on Meuse water management. Hungary's Paks plant narrowly avoided a complete shutdown as Danube water levels hit historic lows, with the prime minister reporting the plant was 'a few millimetres away' from shutdown before water levels rose. Serbia urged water conservation as hydro output decreased. The heatwave continues across southern Europe and the Balkans, with daytime highs exceeding 35-40°C.

Background: Europe has been experiencing severe summer heat waves causing over 10,000 excess deaths, power cuts, and wildfires, straining energy grids and highlighting summer energy security risks. Today: The ongoing heatwave is now causing widespread crop failures across the continent, from vegetables in France to cereals in Spain, prompting warnings of rising food prices. Olive oil producers expect another price surge as groves suffer from heat, drought, and fires. The EU has cut harvest forecasts for sunflowers, maize, and other crops, while some countries like Romania and Italy fare better. This development underscores the compounding impacts of climate change on European agriculture and food supply chains. Recent updates: French vegetable growers report thousands of tonnes of lost produce including salad leaves, carrots, leeks, garlic, and onions, with certain crop production expected to halve. Grape growth in Champagne, Bordeaux, and Burgundy is delayed, with Champagne expecting its earliest harvest ever around August 15 and yields about 10% smaller than last year. Spain's 2026-27 cereal crop forecast has been cut from 24 million tonnes to 18.5 million tonnes. The EU has reduced harvest forecasts for sunflowers by 7%, grain maize by 6%, and potatoes and soya beans by 3%. Olive groves have burned in Greece, Italy, and Portugal, and olive oil prices are expected to surge again due to drought, pests, and disease. UK harvests are also affected, with wholesalers turning to Spain for iceberg lettuce and broccoli. Turkey and Italy are exceptions with better yields, and Romania's maize harvest is predicted at 8.2 million tonnes.

As wildfires worsen in France, particularly in Gironde, presidential candidates are criticized for offering few concrete proposals. The Prime Minister announced a new civil security bill, but candidates across the political spectrum have provided limited or technical responses, with some like Marine Le Pen posting only a single message of support.

The Coalition of the Willing, led by France and the UK, has pledged a deterrence force for Ukraine, but the ground-launched deep-strike missiles that would make it credible are not scheduled for availability until 2029. Europe's lack of this capability stems from the INF Treaty's collapse, and current production lines are insufficient, with the only near-term deep-strike production running through Ukrainian factories.

French minister Éléonore Caroit rejected accusations of a 'sovereignty deficit' in France's wildfire response, calling them a 'false trial'. She highlighted increased funding from 450 to 800 million euros and defended the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which deployed 13 aircraft from eight countries to combat the Gironde megafire.

The French Ministry of Armed Forces announced on August 4 a new major step in the SLAM-F mine warfare program, ordering about a dozen additional surface and underwater drones and chartering civilian drone-carrier ships to protect metropolitan maritime approaches. This decision, part of the updated 2024-2030 Military Programming Law, aims to prepare the French Navy for future technological and operational challenges and ensure strategic autonomy in mine warfare. The drones are likely Exail A-18M models with Thales SAMDIS 600 sonar. The chartered civilian ships will serve as interim capability until the future BGDM mine warfare vessels, developed with Belgium and the Netherlands, enter service.