Russia’s foreign ministry has confirmed the detention of three Russian citizens in Chad, following earlier reports. The detainees, named as Maxim Shugaley, Samer Sueifan, and E. Tsaryov, were apprehended in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, on September 19. A Belarusian national, A. Denisevich, has also been detained.
Russia has stated it is taking necessary steps to secure the release of the individuals and is in close contact with Chadian authorities regarding the situation. Shugaley and Sueifan, described as sociologists by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, were reportedly detained at the airport without explanation after a prior visit to the France-allied country.
Shugaley, who heads the Moscow-based Foundation for the Defence of National Values, is under EU sanctions for his alleged ties to Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group and has been accused of spreading propaganda and disinformation. He and Sueifan were previously detained in Libya in 2019, accused of election meddling, and were released after 18 months in captivity.
The situation highlights Russia’s increasing presence in countries surrounding Chad, once a stronghold of French influence, with Russian military involvement in the region escalating in recent years.