Russian Embassy dismisses sabotage allegations against citizen arrested in Romania

The Russian Embassy in Bucharest has rejected Romanian authorities’ allegations against a Russian citizen arrested on suspicion of attempted acts of sabotage. The man, who holds a Romanian residence permit, was detained on September 8 and subsequently placed under preventive arrest for 30 days.

Romania’s Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice formally informed the embassy of the detention on Thursday, September 10, the diplomatic mission said.

The Romanian authorities accuse the suspect of gathering military information by photographing and filming sensitive sites, including Romanian and NATO military facilities and Ukrainian transport aircraft. Prosecutors allege he was preparing acts of sabotage in Romania and that his activity was coordinated from Russia.

“The published materials consist of assumptions, speculation, and all kinds of fantasies,” the Russian Embassy said. “They contain no concrete information confirming either the illegal nature of our citizen’s activities or the involvement of Russian state authorities.”

The embassy claimed that the suspect appeared to have become “the victim of a new provocation intended to fuel anti-Russian sentiment in Romanian society.”

Romania’s Intelligence Service (SRI) said on September 8 that it had prevented a sabotage operation allegedly coordinated by the Russian Federation. The suspect had been under surveillance since February 2026.

SRI said the Russian citizen documented communications centers, Romanian military bases used by NATO allies, buildings belonging to national defense and public security institutions, and critical infrastructure. He was allegedly instructed by an intermediary to record strategically important military sites, including Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft while they were in Romania.

“The data obtained indicate a pattern of action similar to that used in European countries by networks of saboteurs coordinated by entities in the Russian Federation,” SRI said.

In its turn, the Russian Embassy said it was monitoring the case and was prepared to provide the citizen with consular and legal assistance. It has asked Romanian authorities to arrange a meeting with him.

The embassy also claimed that the incident showed Russian citizens could no longer feel safe even when legally present in European Union countries, arguing that they risked “unjustified persecution and provocations by Western intelligence services.”