France Arrests Three in Russian Espionage Case

French authorities have arrested three individuals and placed a fourth under strict supervision in Paris on suspicions of spying for Russia and promoting its wartime propaganda, prosecutors announced this week. The case centers on a France-based association accused of serving as a cover for espionage activities targeting French economic interests.

The suspects include Anna N., a 40-year-old dual French-Russian national and founder of SOS Donbass, a group that describes itself as providing humanitarian aid to civilians in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Prosecutors say she had been under surveillance by France's domestic intelligence agency, the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), since early this year. In March, authorities opened an investigation after detecting actions that could harm France's fundamental interests, including allegations that she approached executives at French companies to gather sensitive economic information. Anna N. faces charges such as collusion with a foreign power, which carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, along with accusations of complicity in damaging a historic site and organized criminal activity. She has been...