MOSCOW, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Russia’s FSB security service said on Thursday it had detained a Swedish man it suspects of planning attacks and sabotage on behalf of Ukraine after entering Russia on the pretext of seeking to join the Russian army.
The FSB said the 35-year-old man had been charged with illegally crossing the border and may face additional terrorism-related charges.
It released a video of a purported confession in which the man, who gave his name as Freddy Lindholm from Stockholm, said he had come to Russia to use FPV (first-person view) drones to commit “terrorist attacks” and acts of sabotage.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry said it was aware of media reports about the detention, but was not currently involved in the case. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Speaking in English, the man said he had signed a contract in the Ukrainian city of Ternopil with the Ukrainian army’s Aidar Battalion and had then undergone training in using FPV drones for surveillance purposes. Russian state TV showed a copy of a contract he had purportedly signed with the Ukrainian Defence Ministry.
The FSB said the man had been detained in the western Pskov region close to Latvia and Belarus.
“Under the pretence of joining the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces, he travelled to the Russian Federation to carry out sabotage and terrorist acts at military facilities,” it said.
The statement alleged that the man had served under contract between February and June as a Ukrainian drone commander in what the FSB called a terrorist organisation.
Since the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine, the FSB has been tasked by President Vladimir Putin with stepping up vigilance against foreign spies and saboteurs.
On Tuesday, the FSB said it had detained a Japanese journalist in Russia’s Far East on suspicion of espionage. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi denied on Thursday that Tokyo was conducting espionage in Russia.
(Reporting by Reuters in MoscowAdditional reporting by Johan Ahlander in Stockholm; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Andrew Cawthorne)
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