Russian security services said on Thursday they had arrested a Swede they accused of fighting for Ukraine, “illegally” crossing into Russia and plotting “sabotage and terrorism” attacks on military infrastructure.
Russia has arrested Western citizens throughout the Ukraine war, which has pitted Moscow against the West.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
The powerful FSB did not name the man but said he was detained in the north-western Pskov region, near the border with Lithuania.
It said he had “illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation from the territory of a neighbouring state”.
It specified he was arrested in the Sebezh area, close to the borders of Lithuania and Belarus.
The FSB said it had “documents” it alleged showed the man “took part in combat acts against our country within the Ukrainian army”.
“Under the pretence of joining the Russian armed forces, he travelled to the Russian Federation with the intention of carrying out acts of sabotage and terrorism on military facilities,” the FSB said in a statement.
It said a criminal case was launched against the Swede on charges of crossing the border illegally, organising “terrorist” activities and being a mercenary.