LONDON: Russian investigators said on Thursday they had detained a French citizen on suspicion of gathering information about the activities of the Russian military.
The state Investigative Committee said the man was suspected, over a period of several years, to have “purposefully collected information in the field of military and military-technical activities of the Russian Federation.”
It added: “This information, when obtained by foreign sources, can be used against the security of the state. For these purposes, he repeatedly visited the territory of Russia, including the city of Moscow, where he held meetings with citizens of the Russian Federation.”
Investigators said the man, whom they did not identify, would be charged shortly under a Russian law on failing to register as a “foreign agent,” which carries a punishment of up to five years in prison.
No comment was immediately available from the French Foreign Ministry in Paris.
The TASS state news agency identified the man as an employee of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a Swiss-based nonprofit, whose website says it has operated since 1999 to “help prevent, mitigate and resolve armed conflict through dialogue and mediation” in countries such as Spain, the Philippines and Libya.
HD did not immediately reply to a request to confirm the arrested man was its employee. It was not immediately clear if the organization has operations or staff in Russia.
Russia arrests Frenchman suspected of collecting military intelligence
https://arab.news/pxzsn
Russia arrests Frenchman suspected of collecting military intelligence
- The man was suspected, over a period of several years, to have “purposefully collected information in the field of military and military-technical activities of the Russian Federation“
- Investigators said the man, whom they did not identify, would be charged shortly under a Russian law on failing to register as a “foreign agent“
As Europe gets tough on migrants, Crete island sees spike in illegal crossings
- Eastern Libya has become a key launch point for smugglers, undercutting years of EU efforts to curb departures and making Crete a new pressure point
TYMPAKI, Greece: A Heron 2 drone whirs off the tarmac on a new surveillance mission. The aircraft’s sensors scan for boats along the 350-km stretch of sea between Libya and the Greek island of Crete and can detect activity hidden below deck.
Crete, Greece’s largest island, saw a threefold increase in irregular migration last year, becoming the country’s busiest point of entry with about 20,000 arrivals, even as overall irregular migration to Europe fell by 26 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to data from Frontex, the EU’s border agency.
SPEEDREAD
One of Europe’s deadliest migration corridors, where unclaimed bodies often wash up on shore, the passage to Crete is fueled by wars and instability across Africa and is growing busier even as pressure eases on other Mediterranean routes.
As the EU readies tougher measures to combat illegal migration, Frontex says it will focus resources on Crete in an attempt to end the surge in arrivals.
Eastern Libya has become a key launch point for smugglers, undercutting years of EU efforts to curb departures and making Crete a new pressure point.
Many boats leaving Libya are overcrowded and barely seaworthy, attempting a long, exposed journey across the Libyan Sea, leading to tragedies such as a sunken fishing trawler that killed at least 700 in 2023.
Greek authorities recently rescued 20 migrants and recovered four bodies from a vessel in distress south of Crete. Dozens of others are believed missing.
Each rescue underscores the same brutal reality: The crossing is a gamble with lives.
The route to Crete is significantly longer and more perilous than the short trip from Turkiye to nearby Greek islands. It requires larger vessels capable of navigating the open sea for days and a different operational response from Frontex, including bigger patrol boats and expanded aerial surveillance.
