Russia detains French citizen on charges of collecting military data

Laurent Vinatier is accused of collecting information on military issues in Russia (AP)

A Moscow court has ordered a French citizen accused of collecting information on military issues in Russia be held in jail pending investigation and trial.

Laurent Vinatier was arrested in the Russian capital on Thursday as tensions have flared between Moscow and Paris following French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the possibility of deploying the country’s troops in Ukraine.