Russia detains Russian-German citizen over alleged sabotage plot
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Russia’s security services detained a Russian-German citizen for preparing to sabotage railways, the Russian news agency Interfax reported on Dec. 10.
The detainee was born in 2003 and was found to possess a ready-to-use homemade explosive device, as well as "communication equipment" containing correspondence with a representative of the Ukrainian intelligence services, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) alleged.
The FSB accused the man of preparing the sabotage in November "for a monetary reward" promised by his handler. He now faces sabotage charges.
According to Russian authorities, the detainee was part of a group that followed "radical neo-Nazi ideology" and resided in Nizhny Novgorod. Russian authorities often falsely accuse their domestic and external rivals of "neo-Nazi" tendencies, including the Ukrainian government and military.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify Russian security services claims.
Germany's Foreign Ministry told Deutsche Welle that it is aware of the situation and seeks to obtain consular access to the detainee. Russian authorities view individuals with dual citizenship exclusively as Russian citizens, refusing to grant consular access to foreign missions.
The arrest comes weeks after the detainment of German citizen Nikolai Gaiduk, who was accused of planning terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure in the Kaliningrad region by the Russian services.
The Kaliningrad region is Russia's heavily-armed exclave at the Baltic Sea coast, lodged between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
The FSB claims Gaiduk was detained after entering the Kaliningrad region from Poland, allegedly to conduct further sabotage. A search of his vehicle reportedly uncovered 0.5 liters of liquid explosive material.
