Robert Urbanek
Platinum Member
The theft of $102 million of Napoleon-era jewelry from the Louvre on October 19 left an important question: If left intact, how do you sell stolen goods that are easily identified and could never be displayed publicly?
But maybe profit or prestige is not the goal. France has already spent 8.6 billion Euros in aid to Ukraine. Putin may have decided to punish France by stealing then destroying those national treasures or dropping hints that they might be returned if France changes its foreign policy.
Russia is already suspected of conducting an April 2024 cyber-attack on the Coulandon hydroelectric power plant in France and a 2022 attack that disabled about 40,000 Viasat modems, causing disruptions to emergency services in the country.
But maybe profit or prestige is not the goal. France has already spent 8.6 billion Euros in aid to Ukraine. Putin may have decided to punish France by stealing then destroying those national treasures or dropping hints that they might be returned if France changes its foreign policy.
Russia is already suspected of conducting an April 2024 cyber-attack on the Coulandon hydroelectric power plant in France and a 2022 attack that disabled about 40,000 Viasat modems, causing disruptions to emergency services in the country.
