Russian Soldier Detained Over Paris Bomb Plot

A 26-year-old Russian soldier named Maxim was detained in Paris while allegedly preparing to blow up a store with an improvised explosive device, reported the French newspaper “Mond.” Maxim, a native of Donbas holding both Russian and Ukrainian passports, fought for two years with the Russian army in eastern Ukraine. French investigators believe he intended to plant the device early in the morning to avoid casualties. The suspect sustained injuries from an accidental explosion in his hotel room near Charles de Gaulle Airport, leading to his arrest in a Paris hospital. Despite initially denying any terrorist plans, a search of his hotel room revealed forged documents, explosives materials, ammonium nitrate traces, and communication devices linked to his superiors outside France. The incident is seen as part of a broader Russian campaign to destabilize Europe, potentially in response to France’s increased military aid to Ukraine.