Overview

• Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested a 20-year-old dual German-Russian citizen in Nizhny Novgorod, accusing him of planning to sabotage a railway line with a homemade explosive device.
• The FSB claims the suspect was recruited by Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency and promised financial compensation for the operation.
• German officials are seeking consular access to the detained individual, but Russia typically treats dual nationals as exclusively Russian citizens, complicating such efforts.
• This arrest follows a pattern of recent detentions of foreign nationals in Russia, including another German citizen accused of sabotage in October in Kaliningrad.
• The case highlights ongoing tensions between Russia and Western nations, with allegations that such arrests may be used as leverage for potential prisoner exchanges.