Russia’s top security agency says it arrested a Swedish man on suspicion of sabotage

Russia detained a Swedish citizen and a Japanese journalist in quick succession, as former President Dmitry Medvedev urged Moscow to expand its pool of Western citizens for prisoner exchanges. The Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested the Swedish individual in Pskov region, claiming he entered under false pretenses with intentions to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks against military installations.

The detainee previously served as a commander in Ukraine's Aidar unit, a volunteer formation designated as a terrorist organization by the Kremlin. Russia holds evidence of his combat against Russian forces and faces charges of illegal border crossing, organizing terrorist activities, and serving as a mercenary.

Meanwhile, a Japanese journalist Yuki Imai was arrested on Sakhalin Island while preparing to depart the country, accused of gathering information on Russia's defense capabilities at the behest of Japanese intelligence services. Japan's ambassador in Tokyo lodged a protest over the arrest and Moscow's prompt announcement of it without prior notification.

The Committee to Protect Journalists called for Imai's immediate release, warning against using journalists as bargaining chips in geopolitical disputes. At least 30 journalists are currently held in Russia for their work. Medvedev had previously called for increasing the exchange pool of foreign nationals to negotiate for the release of Russians detained abroad.