France detains a Russian who may be plotting to undermine the Olympics

Only a few days before the Games start, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Wednesday that French police had detained a Russian man who was allegedly planning to cause instability during the Olympics.

The prosecutor’s office released a statement saying that the 40-year-old man was taken into custody on Tuesday following a police raid on his home at the Interior Ministry’s request.

There were “fears of his intention to organize events likely to cause destabilization during the Olympic Games,” the report stated, based on the material discovered at his residence.

As a result of President Emmanuel Macron’s vocal opposition to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and his strong backing for the Kyiv administration, ties between France and Russia have been deteriorating for several months.

Suspected Russian disinformation tactics have been routinely reported by French authorities, and Russia has detained a French researcher there on suspicion of spying.

According to the statement, the accused guy has been held in pre-trial detention and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in jail.

The Russian embassy in Paris declared that it had not been formally informed of the detention.

“We politely requested explanation from them. We’ll look for a response,” the statement read.

The magnificent yet technically challenging opening ceremony for the Olympics takes place this Friday along the Seine River.

In order to protect the Games, which are being held against the backdrop of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, France has launched its largest-ever security operation.

In a radio interview, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that the Russian man was believed to be preparing “destabilization,” which might involve disinformation campaigns or other forms of assault.

According to Le Monde, which cited multiple European intelligence services, investigators discovered the Russian man’s identity card, which indicated he was employed by a team that was subordinate to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

A 26-year-old Russian-Ukrainian man was taken into custody by French police last month after he set himself on fire in a hotel room north of Paris using explosive materials. The French domestic espionage service was looking into him because they thought he was involved in a bomb plan and terrorist conspiracy.

In June, Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher, was detained by Russia on suspicion of not registering as a foreign agent while collecting intelligence on the Russian military.

He is one of the increasing numbers of foreign people jailed in Russia who are victims of the crisis in ties between the West and Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine.