France shut several schools in October last year over concern about bedbug infestations. France has blamed the Kremlin for spreading misinformation about the pests.

The panic that gripped France in the fall of 2023 over the alleged spread of bed bugs was amplified by disinformation on social media accounts linked to the Russian state, a French minister said Friday, March 1.

The comments by Europe Minister Jean-Noël Barrot followed growing warnings from France about the dangers of Russian disinformation particularly aimed at undermining support for Ukraine as it fights the invasion.

“The issue of bedbugs was artificially amplified on social networks by accounts that have been established to be of Russian inspiration or origin,” he told TF1 television. “It was very largely amplified by accounts linked to the Kremlin,” he added.