Ukraine's SBU Arrests Frenchman Plotting Terrorist Attack on Euro 2016 in France

Ukraine's intelligence agency (SBU) announced on Monday it thwarted "several planned terror attacks" directed at UEFA Euro 2016 in France after apprehending a French suspect in late May.

According to Sky Sports, Vasily Gritsak, a security agency chief, said the man was detained in Ukraine after attempting to purchase guns and explosives before being arrested on the Polish border carrying 125 kilograms of TNT. 

He said: "The Frenchman spoke negatively about his government's actions, mass immigration, the spread of Islam and globalisation, and also talked about plans to carry out several terrorist attacks."

The 2016 European Championship is scheduled to begin on June 10.

Thibault Camus/Associated Press

The Associated Press provided further quotes from Gritsak, who noted on national television the SBU was responsible for foiling as many as 15 terrorist incidents recently (h/t ESPN FC).

The Frenchman was named by French newspaper L'Est Republicain as Gregoire Moutaux, who was reportedly being tailed since December (h/t ESPN FC). He was permitted to purchase "five machine guns, two rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons" before Ukraine's security agency made its move.

Sky Sports News HQ recently broke down the security measures on hand in France for Euro 2016:

Tensions are particularly high heading into the tournament considering the Stade de France was one of the main targets during the terrorist attacks in Paris last November, when France played Germany in a friendly fixture.

One hundred and thirty people died during the Paris attacks, and security has been tightened significantly in an effort to avoid a repeat of that tragedy.

Last week, Rob Wainwright, head of the European Union's law enforcement agency—Europol—said he had "no doubt" Euro 2016 was a potential target for jihadi militant group ISIS, per Simon Tomlinson of the MailOnline:

"

I have no doubt that the Euros are on a potential target list for ISIS, for obvious reasons. That's a pretty obvious assumption. The threat is high, I think. 

To counter-balance that threat, I see a huge amount of security preparations being taken by the French authorities, with extra police and military drafted in. We are dealing with a country a bit like Britain where they know how to do their security and they've learned a lot of lessons also from the attacks last November.

"

ESPN FC, citing the SBU, reported the detained Frenchman planned attacks on bridges, trains and other landmarks in order to protest "his government's migration policies and the spread of Islam."

The SBU's admission to preventing 15 terrorist plots is evidence to the extent to which the European Championship is being targeted, but security is being stepped up to ensure a safe tournament.