Russian security services said on Thursday they had arrested a Swedish man accused of fighting for Ukraine, illegally entering Russia and plotting sabotage and terrorist attacks against military infrastructure.
Russia has detained Western citizens during its war against Ukraine, which has strained relations between Moscow and Western countries.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) did not name the man but said he was detained in the north-western Pskov region, near the borders with Lithuania and Belarus.
The agency said he had “illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation from the territory of a neighbouring state”. It specified that the arrest took place in the Sebezh area.
The FSB said it had documents that allegedly showed the man had “taken 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 agency said in a statement.
The FSB said a criminal case had been opened against the Swedish national on charges of illegally crossing the border, organising terrorist activities and acting as a mercenary.
