French police have arrested a 26-year-old Russian-Ukrainian man on suspicion of attempting to manufacture explosives and planning a violent act. The suspect was apprehended after suffering severe burns from an explosion on Tuesday in his hotel room in Roissy-en-France, near Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport. Following the explosion, firefighters provided medical assistance before he was taken into custody.
Investigators from the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) discovered equipment and materials intended for bomb-making in the man’s hotel room. Additionally, guns and false passports were found, according to French media reports. The suspect is currently being interviewed in a hospital while receiving treatment for his injuries.
The man is reported to be a Russian speaker from the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, an area partially occupied by Russia. French anti-terror prosecutors, in collaboration with the domestic intelligence agency, have opened an investigation into his activities. He is suspected of participating in a terrorist conspiracy and planning a bomb plot.
The explosion, which occurred on Monday evening, led authorities to search the hotel room, uncovering evidence that suggested the man was preparing explosive devices. One of these devices had detonated, causing the injuries he sustained. French media have reported that the suspect is a former Russian soldier who allegedly aimed to target French companies supplying weapons to Ukraine.
This incident comes at a time when France is on maximum alert for terrorist threats, especially with the upcoming Paris Olympics in less than two months. The security challenges are heightened due to the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Recently, French security services thwarted an attack on the Games, arresting an 18-year-old Chechen man who was allegedly planning a suicide mission at a soccer stadium in Saint-Etienne.
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