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Russia opens criminal case against Swiss journalist for crossing Kursk border

Russian soldiers fighting in the war in Ukraine
The Ukrainian army launched a surprise offensive in the Kursk border region in early August, followed shortly after by a Russian counter offensive. Keystone-SDA

The Russian secret service has opened proceedings against Swiss journalist Kurt Pelda, who is being accused of illegally crossing the state border of the Russian Federation in the Kursk region.

Several news agencies reported the charges on Monday based on a communiqué from the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB that was also made available to the Keystone-SDA news agency. Pelda, who regularly reports from Ukraine for CH Media, is facing a prison sentence of up to five years.

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The FSB has also opened proceedings against the journalist Catherine Norris Trent, who works for the French television channel France 24. A total of 14 foreign journalists have been charged with the same offence since August 17.

On August 6, the Ukrainian army launched a surprise offensive in the Kursk border region, the first by a foreign army in Russia since the Second World War. The Russian armed forces have since launched a counter offensive and claim to have regained ground.

+ Swiss drone pilot joins Ukraine war, faces legal risks at home

However, Ukraine still claims it controls dozens of localities. Several foreign media outlets have reported from the area occupied by Ukrainian forces.

Adapted from German with DeepL/gw

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