The French government has decided to replace the head of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DRM), national media reported on Wednesday citing sources. General Eric Vidaud was fired just seven months after getting the job, allegedly for being blindsided by Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Vidaud was appointed military intelligence chief last summer. He previously headed the French Special Operations Command (COS) and was credited with the killing of the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in June 2020.
According to French media, the general’s short tenure at the helm of military intelligence was ended by the mismanagement of the Ukraine crisis and the government’s intention to drastically reorganize the agency in the wake of Russia’s attack on the country, last month.
The termination was first reported by the newspaper L’Opinion and later covered by other outlets, including state-backed Agence France-Presse (AFP). They cited sources familiar with the situation.