In a series of events that seem straight out of a spy thriller, French authorities have arrested 40-year-old Kirill Gryaznov, an alleged Russian spy, after he drunkenly bragged about plans to cause chaos at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Gryaznov was detained in his apartment by Paris police after European intelligence officers, who had been monitoring him for months, flagged his activities, according to French outlet Le Monde.
The saga began in May when Gryaznov was removed from a flight from Istanbul to Paris for being heavily intoxicated. After his ejection, he visited a local restaurant where he reportedly called friends at the Federal Security Service (FSB), a Russian spy agency he is purportedly associated with.
In a critical misstep, Gryaznov allegedly boasted to his friends about the French having an Opening Ceremony “like no other,” just months before the Olympic Games were set to begin. According to Le Monde, he even revealed his identity as an intelligence officer to his neighbours and discussed plans to disrupt the Olympics.
The information reached European security agencies, leading Paris authorities to raid Gryaznov’s apartment. During the raid, police reportedly discovered “diplomatic material” and evidence of a “large-scale project” aimed at destabilizing France during the Olympics.
Gryaznov has been criminally charged with intelligence activities on behalf of a foreign power with the intent to incite hostilities in France.
In an intriguing twist, Gryaznov is also a trained chef who studied at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and was featured on a reality cooking show.
