Russia arrests a German national accused of planning to sabotage energy facilities

MOSCOW — Russia's top domestic security agency on Wednesday reported arresting a German national it accused of planning to sabotage energy facilities on orders from a Ukrainian national.

The Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that it detained German national Nikolai Gayduk as he entered Russia's westernmost exclave of Kaliningrad from Poland and seized half a liter (one pint) of liquid explosives from his car.

It didn’t say whether Gayduk also had Russian citizenship or a visa to enter the country.

The FSB accused Gayduk, a resident of Hamburg born in 1967, of planning acts of sabotage on orders from a Ukrainian, Alexander Zhorov, who also lives in Hamburg.

The agency said Gayduk was involved in an explosion at a gas distribution station in Kaliningrad in March, and that a criminal case was brought against him on charges of a terrorist attack and smuggling of explosives. A court ordered Gayduk to be placed in pretrial detention pending an investigation, Russian news agency Interfax reported. No other details were provided.

The German Foreign Ministry said it was aware of the case. Spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer said the arrest took place in October, and that the German Consulate in St. Petersburg was informed. She wouldn’t give further details, citing privacy rules.

Deschauer said the consulate has offered consular support to the detainee and is in contact with Russian authorities regarding that.

German officials had no comment on the Russian claims that the detainee had been given orders by a Ukrainian living in Hamburg.

Deschauer noted that, in general terms, there is an “atmosphere of intimidation and fear” in Russia that — as Germany’s travel advice notes — can lead to arbitrary arrests of foreigners.

She said the Foreign Ministry knows of a “low double-digit number” of German citizens currently detained in Russia.

Germany earlier this year played a central role in a major East-West prisoner swap in which Russia released U.S. and German nationals it held in custody and a number of jailed Russian dissidents, while the U.S., Germany and some other European countries freed jailed Russians.