# France expels Russian journalist, detains pilot > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/france-expels-russian-journalist > Updated: 2026-08-06T12:47:00.000Z. Sources: 94. Developments: 5. France’s interior ministry expelled pro‑Russian journalist Xenia Fedorova on 29 July 2026, ordered her to leave, placed her under house arrest and froze her assets for six months. The freeze was published on 31 July, with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez saying the steps were needed to curb Kremlin‑directed disinformation. Media groups condemned the move as an attack on press freedom. On 1 August the government declared Fedorova persona non grata and banned Russian‑funded outlets such as Sputnik and RT. In the same wave, prosecutors arrested a former French navy fighter pilot on suspicion of passing classified naval information to China. The Paris administrative court rejected Fedorova’s request to suspend the expulsion and asset freeze on 3 August, leaving the measures in place ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Russia’s foreign ministry, through spokesperson Alexei Fadeev, denounced the decree on 6 August as political persecution based on false accusations, calling it incompatible with France’s professed commitment to freedom of expression and criticizing French officials for repeatedly attributing domestic problems to a “Russian connection”. Fedorova said she would not return until the measures are lifted, while French media employers reiterated their criticism of the expulsion as a severe attack on press freedom. ## Claims - France declared Xenia Fedorova persona non grata and ordered her expulsion. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Xenia Fedorova was accused of attacking fundamental state interests and posing a serious threat to public order. (corroborated by 4 sources) - A former French navy fighter pilot was detained and accused of conspiring with a foreign power to provide sensitive information. (corroborated by 4 sources) - France has banned Russian‑funded media outlets such as Sputnik and RT as part of its anti‑foreign‑influence policy. (corroborated by 4 sources) - France attributed a series of cyber‑attacks to Russia’s GRU, marking the first official accusation of Russian military intelligence. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Xenia Fedorova was director of RT France until the channel was shut down in 2022. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Fedorova appears regularly on CNews, Europe 1 and JDNews, media outlets owned by Vincent Bolloré. (corroborated by 3 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-06: Russia condemns France's expulsion of journalist Xenia Fedorova France expelled former RT France director Xenia Fedorova for alleged disinformation; Russia called the move political persecution, criticizing France's press‑freedom stance. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-expels-russian-journalist-xenia-fedorova-russia-calls-it-political-persecution ### 2026-08-03: Paris Court Rejects Xenia Fedorova’s Challenge to Expulsion and Asset Freeze Paris administrative court denied Xenia Fedorova’s urgent request to suspend her expulsion and asset freeze, finding no extreme urgency; she remains barred from France amid accusations of Russian propaganda. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/paris-court-rejects-xenia-fedorovas-challenge-to-expulsion-and-asset-freeze ### 2026-08-01: France expels pro‑Russian columnist and arrests ex‑navy pilot for alleged Chinese espionage France expelled pro‑Russian columnist Xenia Fedorova and arrested a former navy pilot accused of spying for China, citing threats to state security amid a wider anti‑foreign‑influence drive. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-expels-prorussian-columnist-and-arrests-exnavy-pilot-for-alleged-chinese-espionage ### 2026-07-31: France orders expulsion and freezes assets of Russian journalist Xenia Fedorova France deported Russian journalist Xenia Fedorova on 29 July 2026, citing Kremlin‑linked disinformation, and froze her assets for six months on 31 July, sparking media‑freedom criticism. 10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/french-government-freezes-assets-of-journalist-xenia-fedorova-after-expulsion-order ### 2026-07-29: France expels Russian journalist Xenia Fedorova, freezes her assets France expelled former RT France director Xenia Fedorova, froze her assets for six months and placed her under house arrest, citing a threat to national security ahead of the 2027 election. 73 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-deports-russian-journalist-xenia-fedorova-over-kremlin-propaganda-allegations --- Cite as: France expels Russian journalist, detains pilot. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/france-expels-russian-journalist