Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) says it has detained a Swedish citizen for illegally crossing the Russian border on Thursday. The security service alleged that he had previously taken part in fighting on the side of Ukraine in the ongoing war, according to a report by state-controlled news agency TASS, citing the FSB’s Public Relations Center.
The detained Swedish citizen, who gave his name as Freddy Lindholm in a purported video confession released by the FSB, said he had signed a contract with the Ukrainian Aidar Battalion in Ternopil. He was allegedly detained in the Sebezh District of Russia’s western Pskov Region, which borders Belarus and Latvia. The FSB did not disclose exactly where the man allegedly crossed into Russia.
The FSB claimed the detainee had planned attacks on military facilities in Russia. “Under the cover story of joining the Russian Armed Forces, he traveled to the Russian Federation to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks at military facilities,” the FSB’s Public Relations Center said.
TASS said the Swedish citizen served under contract in the Ukrainian military from February to June 2026 as the commander of a UAV squad.
A criminal case has been opened against him on charges of illegally crossing the border. The authorities are also considering opening cases under statutes covering “participation in a terrorist organization” and “mercenarism.”
The Aidar Battalion and the Ukrainian military have not commented on the allegations. His relatives, however, told Swedish television that he had traveled to Ukraine on several occasions and fought there.
Sweden’s Foreign Ministry told The Insider that it was checking reports that a Swedish citizen had been detained in Russia.
“Media reports have reached the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The ministry and the Swedish Embassy in Moscow are checking these reports,” the ministry’s press office said in response to a request from the newsroom.
The ministry also noted that the detention of a citizen abroad does not automatically become known to Swedish authorities. Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the detaining country is required to notify Swedish diplomats only if the detainee asks for consular notification.
Meanwhile, the Swedish Embassy in Moscow advised citizens against traveling to Russia, warning that “a sharp deterioration in the security situation may limit the Embassy’s ability to provide consular support.”
Earlier this week, the FSB detained a correspondent for Japan’s Hokkaido Shimbun on the island of Sakhalin on suspicion of espionage, accusing him of collecting information about Russia’s defense capabilities.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi rejected the allegations. “There is no such fact,” she told reporters.
