A Russian who fought in Donbas was preparing a terrorist attack in Paris

A Russian soldier was preparing to blow up a store in Paris with an improvised explosive device. The French newspaper Le Monde reported on this. According to the newspaper, the detained 26-year-old Russian named Maksim is a native of Donbas, has Russian and Ukrainian passports, and fought for two years in the east of Ukraine on the side of the Russian military.

As the French investigators discovered, the suspect planned to set up an improvised explosive device early in the morning before the store opened. According to the investigation, in this way, he wanted to avoid human casualties. Law enforcement officials also examined the Russian's correspondence in messenger apps and confirmed the version of an operation planned from abroad.

French security authorities link this attempted terrorist attack to Russia's campaign to "destabilize" Europe.

French police. Source: Eric Gaillard/Reuters

The man was detained in a Parisian hospital on June 3. He was admitted with shrapnel wounds to his upper body, head and face.

The suspect sustained these injuries during the accidental detonation of an explosive device in a hotel room near the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. The detainee initially denied any plans to prepare a terrorist attack.

The explosive device of the Russian agent detained in France.

June 2024. Photo credits: Le Journal du Dimanche

However, when investigators searched his hotel room, they found forged documents, materials for making explosive devices, traces of ammonium nitrate, and cell phones used by the Russian to communicate with his handlers outside of France. It is reported that he arrived in the country a few days before his detention and purchased all the necessary materials on the spot.

The intensification of Russian agents in France may also be related to the French government's plans to increase military assistance to Ukraine.