Photograph: Joe O'ShaughnessyAn Irish citizen has been detained by Russian authorities since August due to messages on his phone which expressed anti-Russian sentiment, his wife has said. Ms Petrenko believes Russian authorities think her husband’s Russian citizenship supersedes his Irish one and, as such, may not co-operate with Irish officials. Photograph: Joe O'ShaughnessyShe said her husband regularly visited Russia since moving to Ireland, usually returning annually to visit his parents. When Mr Simbaev went to Russia in August 2025, he was detained by police at Chelyabinsk Airport. She said police told Mr Simbaev they were detaining him because of “anti-Russian” content on his phone.

Source: The Irish Times January 18, 2026 07:30 UTC