Vympel unit

A 40-year-old Russian citizen has been detained in Paris under suspicion of planning provocations at the upcoming Olympic Games.

The suspect, identified as Kirill Gryaznov, a chef who has appeared on Russian television, is believed to have connections with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), according to a joint investigation by The Insider, Der Spiegel, and Le Monde.

Gryaznov attracted the attention of security services in May 2024, allegedly due to an alcohol-induced indiscretion.

On 7th May, he intended to fly from Moscow to Paris with a stopover in Istanbul. However, after getting heavily intoxicated, he was barred from boarding the flight in Turkey and was placed on a blacklist. He then travelled by car to Bulgaria, where he again became inebriated and revealed to strangers that he was on a secret mission for Russian intelligence services.

Witnesses reported that Gryaznov threatened that France would “long remember this Olympics,” without specifying his intentions. He purportedly displayed an identification badge to prove his association with the intelligence services and made phone calls reporting that he had recruited someone from Chisinau for the mission.

French law enforcement arrested Gryaznov on 21st July at his apartment on Rue Saint-Denis in central Paris. He has been charged with espionage and attempting to incite warfare in France, offences that could result in up to 30 years in prison. Currently, he is held in a pre-trial detention centre.

While specific details of the provocations Gryaznov was allegedly planning for the Olympics have not been publicly disclosed, sources from Le Parisien suggest the potential for serious consequences.

During his arrest, authorities found “diplomatic materials” and an identification badge indicating his affiliation with the “V” division of Russian intelligence services. The Insider speculates that this could be related to the FSB’s special forces unit, “Vympel,” though Gryaznov’s background does not align with typical members of such units.

Born in 1984 in Perm to the chief physician of a local hospital, Gryaznov studied law at Perm State University before moving to Moscow. According to Le Monde, he worked in finance before moving to France in 2010 to pursue a culinary career.

He trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and worked briefly at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Courchevel. By September 2012, Gryaznov informed his Paris landlord that he had returned to Moscow for government work and promised to repay his debts upon his return to France.

Gryaznov has continued working as a chef in Russia and has appeared on various Russian television shows. On his Instagram, he highlighted his participation in a cooking segment on the NTV show “Dachny Otvet.” He also featured in the first season of the dating show “Vyberi Menya” on the Domashny channel in 2015, where he was presented as a successful businessman and restaurateur.

However, The Insider paints a different picture of Gryaznov’s personal life, describing a series of scandals, hidden camera recordings, and messy breakups. His career as a chef has been marred by financial difficulties and issues with alcohol. One ex-girlfriend even offered to send him money out of pity during a particularly low point in 2013.

Journalists concluded Gryaznov’s potential ties to Russian intelligence through various correspondences. In 2009, Yulia Pastukhova, secretary to the director of Ken-Group, sent him an ID card for the director’s son, Major Andrey Belyashov, a senior officer in the Ministry of Defence. In 2010, Perm entrepreneur Anton Mikhailov asked Gryaznov to investigate FSB officer Eduard Kolyvanov.

Gryaznov’s connections may also be linked to his brother Dmitry, who holds a senior position in the legal department of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, an organisation with many intelligence operatives, according to The Insider.

Further evidence of Gryaznov’s ties to Russian intelligence includes his 2019 flight from Perm to Moscow on a ticket purchased by former FSB Inspector General Vladimir Bondarchuk. This, combined with his past actions and associations, paints a complex picture of a man deeply entwined with Russia’s espionage network.

The case against Gryaznov continues to unfold, as authorities delve deeper into his activities and connections in France. The full extent of his alleged plans for the Olympic Games remains unclear, but the investigation has already revealed significant links to Russian intelligence services.