French authorities have arrested four people — including two Russian nationals — as part of an investigation into suspected espionage conducted on behalf of a foreign state, the Paris

prosecutor’s office announced on Wednesday.

According to prosecutors, the group was taken into custody earlier this week during coordinated operations led by the DGSI, France’s domestic intelligence agency, and national police. The individuals are being questioned on suspicion of “intelligence gathering activities” that may have targeted sensitive French institutions.

Among those detained is Anna N., a dual French-Russian national who had been under DGSI surveillance since January. Intelligence services reportedly grew concerned that she was collecting information of strategic value, though authorities have not specified the nature of the material or who it may have been intended for.

Investigators are now working to determine the level of coordination between the four suspects and whether they operated as part of a broader network. Searches were carried out at multiple locations connected to the suspects, and electronic devices are being examined for evidence of communications with foreign intelligence services.

For now, officials have not named the foreign power allegedly involved, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation. The arrests come at a time of heightened vigilance across Europe, where governments have issued repeated warnings about increased intelligence activity by foreign actors, particularly amid geopolitical tensions.

Prosecutors said further updates will be provided as the inquiry progresses. Photo by Krokodyl, Wikimedia commons.