Additional Coverage:
French Authorities Detain Pro-Russia Activists Amid Espionage Allegations
PARIS – Leaders of a pro-Russia advocacy group in France, SOS Donbass, have been taken into custody on suspicion of intelligence-gathering for a foreign power. The arrests come as French President Emmanuel Macron intensifies warnings about Russian destabilization efforts targeting France and other European nations.
Anna Novikova, founder of SOS Donbass, and Vincent Perfetti, the group’s president, were identified by the Paris prosecutor’s office as Anna N. and Vincent P. and are currently in detention. Their arrests were confirmed by SOS Donbass through a Telegram post, with Perfetti’s lawyer also acknowledging charges against his client.
The group garnered attention for a poster campaign featuring a handshake in Russian colors and the slogan “Russia is not my enemy,” downloadable from their website. Videos posted by SOS Donbass show Novikova and Perfetti actively promoting these materials.
Preliminary charges against Novikova and Perfetti include criminal conspiracy, intelligence contacts with a foreign power, and gathering information for a foreign power. These offenses carry potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison and substantial fines. The specific foreign power involved has not been publicly identified.
David Bocobza, Perfetti’s lawyer, vehemently dismissed the accusations as “absurd” and indicative of a “worrying shift toward the criminalization of pro-Russian opinions.” He stated, “This isn’t an espionage case. It’s a case of poster-stickers.”
Novikova, a 40-year-old French-Russian national born in Russia, founded SOS Donbass in 2022 after a visit to the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The organization describes itself as a humanitarian NGO, collecting and distributing aid to Donbas residents and aiming to foster peace between Europe and Russia. The General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), France’s domestic secret service, has been investigating Novikova’s activities, suspecting her of attempting to gather information on French economic interests from various company executives.
In addition to Novikova and Perfetti, two other men, identified as Vyacheslav P. and Bernard F., were also taken into custody. Vyacheslav P., a 40-year-old Russian national, faces preliminary charges of criminal conspiracy and property damage to serve a foreign power.
He is alleged to have affixed pro-Russia posters, depicting a Russian soldier and the words “say thank you to the victorious” Soviet soldier, onto the Arc de Triomphe in September. Vyacheslav P. remains in detention, identified through video footage and phone contacts with Novikova.
Bernard F., a 58-year-old French national, faces preliminary charges of criminal conspiracy and intelligence contacts with a foreign power. He has been released but is prohibited from leaving France and must report to authorities weekly.
These arrests underscore growing concerns within the French government regarding increased Russian efforts to destabilize the nation through cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and other covert tactics. These actions align with broader patterns observed across Europe since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.