French man pleads guilty to spying in Russia

French citizen Laurent Vinatier was arrested in June. Pic/AP

A French citizen arrested in Russia has pleaded guilty to criminal charges involving illegally collecting information on military issues in the country, state news agency Tass reported Wednesday.

Laurent Vinatier was arrested in the Russian capital in June as tensions flared between Moscow and Paris following French President Emmanuel Macron's comments about the possibility of deploying French troops in Ukraine.

Russian authorities accused Vinatier of failing to register as a "foreign agent" while collecting information about Russia's "military and military-technical activities," which could be used to the detriment of the country's security. They did not provide details of the accusations beyond alleging that Vinatier repeatedly traveled to Russia to collect information. Under Russian law, the criminal offense is punishable by up to five years in prison.

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