Russia's FSB says it detained Swedish man accused of planning sabotage at military sites
Russia's FSB security service says it detained a Swedish man in the Pskov region, near the Latvian border, accused of planning attacks on military sites. The security service also alleges he had fought alongside Ukrainian forces.
Arrest in the Pskov region
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday, 15 October, that it had detained a Swedish citizen in the Pskov region of north-western Russia. Russian agencies, citing the FSB, said the arrest took place in the Sebezhsky district, not far from the borders with Latvia and Belarus. The statement, carried by the state news agency TASS, did not give the man's name or age. Every claim in the reports comes from the security service itself.
What the FSB alleges
The FSB says the man entered Russia illegally while pretending he wanted to join the Russian armed forces, with the aim of carrying out sabotage and terrorism against military facilities. It states that between February and June 2026 he served on a contract as commander of an unmanned aerial systems team in the 24th Separate Assault Battalion Aidar of Ukraine's ground forces. The service said documents it holds confirm his part in combat operations against Russia. A criminal case has been opened for illegally crossing the state border, and further cases on terrorism participation and mercenarism are under consideration.
Later statements from the FSB said the detained man had confessed to signing a contract with the Aidar battalion in Ternopil. The service also published a video showing him. These admissions have not been independently confirmed in the reports.
Wider context in the reports
La Libre notes that Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of espionage and sabotage since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. It reports that Ukraine has carried out several attacks inside Russia, sometimes far from its borders, including attacks aimed at senior military officers and pro-Kremlin figures. In 2025, Ukrainian services reportedly moved dozens of small drones into Russian territory hidden in delivery trucks and then launched them at air bases across the country. Russia regularly announces arrests for collaboration with Kyiv, and dozens of Westerners have also been arrested on espionage charges or for minor offences.
