Finnish volunteer imprisoned in Russia as Yle reporter dodges Kyiv strike

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Posted Sep 29, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC · In the digest of 2026-09-29-1030
Finnish volunteer imprisoned in Russia as Yle reporter dodges Kyiv strike
Photo: Helsingin Sanomat

A Finnish volunteer combatant who fought in Ukraine is imprisoned in Russia, while Yle journalist Maxim Fedorov moved to a shelter during a Kyiv missile strike.

A Finnish volunteer combatant in his fifties from Helsinki has been detained in Russia on mercenary charges after traveling to Africa, according to Finnish media. The individual, identified by the pseudonym "Mikael," fought alongside Ukrainian forces prior to his capture, marking the first documented instance of a Finnish volunteer from the war in Ukraine being imprisoned by Russian authorities.

In a separate development, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported that its foreign correspondent in Kyiv, Maxim Fedorov, was forced to alter a live television broadcast following a nearby Russian missile strike. Fedorov relocated to a bomb shelter minutes before going on air to deliver his report safely as sirens sounded across the Ukrainian capital.

Sources: Helsingin Sanomat, Iltalehti

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