MOSCOW (AP) — Prosecutors on Monday asked a Russian court to impose a prison sentence of three years and three months on a French citizen arrested on charges of unlawfully collecting information on military issues.
Laurent Vinatier, who was arrested in Moscow in June, previously admitted guilt, paving the way for a fast-track trial without detailed examination of evidence.
Arrests on charges of espionage and collecting sensitive data have become increasingly common in Russia since the country sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
Vinatier’s arrest came as tensions flared between Moscow and Paris following French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on the possibility of deploying French troops in Ukraine.
Russian authorities accused Vinatier of failing to register as a “foreign agent” while collecting information about Russia’s “military and military-technical activities” that could be used to the detriment of the country’s security.