Russian security service detains Swedish citizen for espionage
The man is accused of illegal border crossing and terrorism.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) apprehended a Swedish national in the Pskov region, situated close to the Estonian border, on Thursday. The individual is currently facing charges of illegal border crossing, as well as accusations of "organizing activities of a terrorist organization" and "mercenarism." The FSB further released videos of the Swedish citizen, who identified himself as 35 years old.
According to his statements, he had signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Aidar Battalion, intending to execute sabotage operations within Russia. Both the Aidar Battalion and the Ukrainian military have not yet commented on these allegations. However, the man's relatives have spoken to Swedish television, confirming his sporadic visits to Ukraine and his involvement in combat there.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry, along with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, is currently investigating these reports. The Swedish embassy in Moscow has advised its citizens to refrain from visiting Russia due to a potential decline in security, which may hinder the embassy's capacity to offer consular assistance. Earlier in the week, the FSB detained a correspondent for Japan’s Hokkaido Shimbun in Sakhalin, accusing him of espionage.
The Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, dismissed Russia's allegations, stating, "There is no such fact."
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
