Paris Olympics ring of steel erects with sniper on roof of Arc de Triomphe and 75k police and soldiers

Paris has transformed into a fortress with a massive security shield as it gears up for the Olympic opening ceremony . Jaw-dropping images unveil the colossal scope of the security measures in place.

The French capital is on maximum alert, deploying an army of 75,000 officers, soldiers, and private guards to ensure safety as the global spotlight turns to Paris. French officials have thwarted multiple attempts to sabotage the Olympics, including the detention of a Russian individual accused of plotting against the games .

Saboteurs targeted France's high-speed train network on Friday, affecting around 800,000 people, among them Olympic athletes en route to the evening's spectacular inauguration. The organizers are adamant about their "zero risk" stance, marking this as the most extensive peacetime security mobilization in France's history, reports the Express US .

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An astonishing 44,000 metal barriers now line the River Seine's edges, setting the stage for performances by icons like Celine Dion and Lady Gaga during the opening festivities. Under Operation Sentinelle, a legion of 45,000 police and 20,000 private security agents stand guard, vigilant over the well-being of attendees.

Speedboats manned by elite security forces cut through the waters of the Seine, while a no-fly zone enforces a 150km radius closure of French skies. With anti-mine squads and drone countermeasures at the ready, and military personnel visibly armed, the city is taking no chances.

Despite these precautions, there has already been one incident, with the rail system falling victim to an attack. As Paris prepared for a grand parade on the Seine River, three fires broke out near the tracks of the high-speed lines of Atlantique, Nord and Est before dawn. This caused disruptions affecting hundreds of thousands of travelers.

Despite the significant attacks on France's high-speed railway routes to Paris, Mayor Anne Hidalgo assured that it would not affect the opening ceremony of the Games. However, the mood was somewhat dampened by overcast skies and predicted rainfall as the much-anticipated Games were about to commence.

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French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal stated that the country's intelligence services are working tirelessly to identify those responsible for these "acts of sabotage" which he described as "prepared and coordinated." Attal emphasized that the actions had a specific goal: to disrupt the high-speed train network. He pointed out that the vandals strategically targeted routes from the north, east, and west towards Paris just hours before the Olympics opening ceremony.

Describing it as "a premeditated, calculated, coordinated attack" Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO of the national railway company SNCF, suggested that it demonstrated "a desire to seriously harm" the French people. Farandou noted that "The places were especially chosen to have the most serious impact, since each fire cut off two lines."