French citizen arrested in Moscow on charges of collecting military data

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top state criminal investigation agency says a French citizen has been arrested on charges of collecting information on military issues. The arrest comes as relations between Russia and France have grown increasingly tense over the fighting in Ukraine. The Investigative Committee said Thursday that the suspect, whom it didn’t identify, has been accused of failing to register with authorities as a foreign agent while collecting “information about military and military-technical activities of the Russian Federation.” Russia’s state news agency Tass identified the arrested man as Laurent Vinatier, an employee of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a Geneva-based non-government organization. HD confirmed Vinatier’s detention.