The head of a Russian mercenary group accused France of attempting to assassinate the head of a Russian representative office in the Central African Republic who was taken to hospital on Friday after opening a mail bomb.
A spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in the African country said Dmitry Syty, head of the "Russian House", had suffered serious injuries when the package, from an anonymous sender, exploded.
Syty was taken to a hospital in the capital Bangui on Friday, the Russian Embassy said.