Pro-Russian humanitarian NGO in Pau under investigation for suspected foreign influence operations

A humanitarian association registered in Pau in southwest France, Sud-Ouest Solidarite Donbass (SOS Donbass), drew judicial and press scrutiny in October 2022 over its pro-Russian alignment and the activities behind its aid work. The group, based on the Avenue du Loup and led by a Franco-Russian founder, Anna Novikova, said it had sent humanitarian convoys to the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, collecting medicine and gift packages for civilians. In June 2022, at a pro-Russian demonstration in Pau, Novikova publicly voiced support for Vladimir Putin and complained of discrimination against Russians, according to French reporting.

French authorities treated the association as a possible vehicle for pro-Kremlin messaging rather than purely charitable work. By late 2023 its bank account at La Banque Postale was closed, along with its PayPal account and access to crowdfunding platforms. The case escalated sharply later: an investigation opened in January 2024, and in November 2025 the DGSI arrested Novikova and the association's president, Vincent Perfetti, who were placed under formal investigation on suspicion of intelligence with a foreign power. Investigators reportedly viewed SOS Donbass as cover for destabilization, including protests near weapons sites in Tarbes and Roanne. The suspects deny wrongdoing, and the allegations remain unproven.

The episode fits a pattern in which ostensibly humanitarian or grassroots structures are scrutinized as potential conduits for Russian influence in Europe. As of the October 2022 reporting, the concerns were investigative and circumstantial: open pro-Kremlin advocacy, opaque funding, and activities aligned with Russian narratives on Ukraine. The later 2024 to 2025 judicial steps lend weight to the suspicions but do not, on their own, prove state direction. Treat foreign-influence and espionage claims as alleged pending court findings, while noting authorities' assessment that the NGO served influence aims.