France detains three people suspected of spying for Russia

(MENAFN) French authorities have detained three individuals accused of spying for Russia and circulating pro-Kremlin war propaganda in Paris, prosecutors announced. The arrests are linked to an ongoing investigation into SOS Donbass, a French-Russian group that claims to provide humanitarian aid in eastern Ukraine but is believed by intelligence services to be a vehicle for Russian influence efforts, according to France 24.

One of those arrested, a 40-year-old Russian citizen, was identified through surveillance footage in September after he allegedly put up pro-Russian propaganda posters on the Arc de Triomphe, one of Paris’s most famous landmarks. Prosecutors say he later phoned the head of the organization to inform her of his actions.

The organization’s leader, a 40-year-old woman born in Russia, had already been under surveillance by France’s domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, since early 2025. Investigators suspect she attempted to gather economic intelligence from French business leaders.

The DGSI reported activities “likely to undermine the fundamental interests of the nation,” which led to the appointment of an investigating judge in March to examine potential offenses, including “collusion with a foreign power,” a charge that carries a possible ten-year prison term.

A third suspect, a 63-year-old man from Seine-Saint-Denis, was also arrested as part of the case.

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