The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed a report from Microsoft that said Russia was ramping up a disinformation campaign ahead of the Paris Olympic Games, calling it "absolute slander". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the Microsoft report as "blanket criticism that has no basis whatsoever," Agence France-Presse reported Tuesday. 

Russia is waging an intense disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and stoking fears of violence at this summer's Paris Games, according to a new report from Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center. According to Microsoft, the influence operations utilise a potent mix of fake videos, fictitious news stories, and AI-generated impersonations, including the faked voice of Hollywood star Tom Cruise, Agence France-Presse reported late on Monday.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau told Franceinfo that authorities are preparing for a spike in crime during the Olympic Games in Paris, where the flow of tourists will increase significantly.

The X account of Amélie Oudéa-Castéra,the French Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, was hacked on Friday 11 May. The profile has since been restored.

The head of France's cyber defence, Vincent Strubel, has warned that the Paris Olympics are a 'target' and that they are preparing for all kinds of attacks.