Paris Olympics 2024: Security experts suspect Russia behind French rail network sabotage

French intelligence agencies are apparently investigating Russia's suspected role in the arson attack against state-owned rail company SNCF, which was aimed at paralysing the high-speed network. The attack caused delays and cancellations just a few hours ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Paris Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11, while the Paralympics will run from August 28 to September 8. The Games have returned to the French capital for the first time since 1924.

The French railway operator said that the signal boxes along the lines connecting Paris with cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east, were damaged by the vandals. They added that another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was foiled.

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About 50 per cent of the trains in France's north and east were not operating on Friday morning and the high-speed TVG network was completely shut down, leaving hundreds of people, including some athletes, stranded at railwaystations.

As per media reports, some experts have suggested that Russia's anger over their national team being excluded from the Games could be the reason behind the sabotage. However, so far no group or individual has taken responsibility and the officials also haven't named any suspects. Reports mentioned that other possible suspects include terrorist groups, left-wing extremists or environmental activists.

As quoted by The Telegraph, Jérôme Poirot, who is a terror expert for RMC-BFMTV, said, "We know that Russia and other countries want to interfere with the Olympic Games. There may be a plan in place to prevent the opening ceremony."

French President Emmanuel Macron had warned about the possibility of such an incident. In April, he said that he had "no doubt whatsoever, including in terms of information," that Russian leaders were planning to disrupt or damage the Olympic Games. He had said around the same time that "there is a hardening from Russia, which we have been seeing for several months".

No impact on Olympics opening

Meanwhile, the city's Mayor Anne Hidalgo said that the sabotage would have "no impact on the ceremony" to mark the beginning ofthe Paris Olympics.

The "unacceptable" sabotage "has no effect on the transport network" in the French capital, Hidalgo said, speaking to reporters in Spanish after meeting Spain's King Felipe VI.

(With inputs from agencies)