France arrests Ukraine-Russia national following explosion at hotel

Man treated by a fire brigade ‘when he suffered serious burns following an explosion’, the prosecutor’s office says.

The French domestic intelligence agency has arrested a 26-year-old Russian-Ukrainian man on suspicion of planning a violent act after he injured himself in an explosion, France’s Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office has said.

The man was treated by a fire brigade on Monday “when he suffered serious burns following an explosion”, the prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday.

“Products and materials intended to manufacture explosive devices” have been found at his hotel room, it said.

France is on maximum threat alert with less than two months to go until the start of the Paris Olympics. The Games take place against a complex geopolitical backdrop, with wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and pose a major security challenge.

Last month, French security services foiled the first planned attack on the Games, with the arrest of an 18-year-old Chechen man allegedly preparing a suicide mission at Saint-Etienne’s soccer stadium.

This week France is hosting high-profile commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other leaders are expected to attend the main event on Thursday.