A 26-year-old man of Russian and Ukrainian nationality, suspected of having planned violent action in France, was taken into police custody on Monday June 3, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said on Wednesday, confirming information from the JDD. The PNAT opened an investigation on Tuesday for “terrorist criminal association”, entrusted to the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI).
This case, which could be the first of this nature in France since the start of the war led in Ukraine by Russia, was discovered by chance Monday evening after firefighters took care of the man, who was seriously injured. by the explosion of an explosive device in his room in a hotel in Roissy-en-France (Val-d’Oise), the city where Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle international airport is located. He was initially hospitalized before being questioned in police custody by the DGSI.
“The first findings at the scene led to the discovery of products and materials intended for the manufacture of explosive devices. One of these devices had exploded”, specified the PNAT in a press release. According to a source close to the investigation, mobile phones used to make explosive devices were found, and tests carried out on the products revealed the presence of ammonium nitrate, which can be used in the manufacture of homemade bombs. .
A Russian army fighter
The man, born in Donbass, a Ukrainian region currently occupied by the Russian army, acquired Russian nationality a few years ago. According to information from Worldhe fought in the Russian army for two years and arrived in France recently.
While the country celebrates for three days, until Friday, the 80th anniversary of the landing of June 6, 1944 in Normandy, where American President Joe Biden, in particular, is expected on Thursday, the discovery of these explosive devices and the possible pro-Russian commitment of the suspect led the PNAT to take up this investigation, initially opened by the Pontoise public prosecutor’s office.
The threat of pro-Russian attacks was anticipated by several European intelligence services, revealed on May 5 Financial Times. According to the British daily, the services of four countries have in fact recently alerted their respective governments of the risk of acts of sabotage “imminent” piloted by Russia, Who would intensify its efforts to carry out clandestine bombings, arson attacks and damage infrastructure in several European countries.
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