OREANDA-NEWS  The Russian side calls on the French leadership to immediately release Russian woman Anna Novikova and put an end to the persecution for voicing the truth about the events in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"We appeal to the French authorities to immediately release Anna Novikova. We insist that the repression against individuals whose entire fault lies in expressing opinions that do not coincide with the official version of Paris should be stopped immediately. It is necessary to put an end to the persecution of people who tell the truth in their own words, as they know how, about what they see in Ukraine," she said during a briefing.

The detention of three members of the SOS Donbass association for assistance to residents of Donbass, including Russian citizen Anna Novikova, was reported on November 25, 2025 by the Parisien newspaper. Frenchman Vincent P. and Ukrainian citizen Vyacheslav P. were also detained with her. According to the newspaper, which referred to the prosecutor's office, the detainees were charged with "conspiring with a foreign state," "carrying out activities to collect information of interest to a foreign state," and "conspiracy to commit a crime."