On October 15, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that a man accused of recruiting Russian citizens to join a Ukrainian-based terrorist organization had been arrested in Sochi.
In a statement posted on social media, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ms. Irina Volk, said that the suspect, residing in the neighboring city of Tuapse, was arrested at Sochi International Airport. The man was accused of persuading three others to travel across third countries to Ukraine, where they were expected to join an extremist group.
The video released by the Russian Ministry of Home Affairs shows the moment of arrest, showing the authorities controlling the recruiter and the two accomplices. In the video, one arrested said he was preparing to fly to Georgia, while another admitted to intending to fight for Ukraine.
Ms. Volk also confirmed that the main suspect is facing terrorist allegations, but did not specify the legal status of the remaining two.
Russia has officially listed a number of Ukrainian military and semi-military units on the list of terrorist organizations, including the Azov Brigade and the Russian Volunteer Army (RDK), a force consisting of Russian citizens fighting under the direction of the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Service (HUR).
Ms. Volk did not specify which group the suspect arrested in Tuapse on October 15 was involved in.
According to the reports, HUR is said to have cooperated with foreign armed networks in Africa and the Middle East, and was accused of training hostile factions with governments that have friendly relations with Moscow on sabotage and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
