Two German-Russian men were arrested in the German state of Bavaria on suspicion of spying for Russia, as well as planning bombing and arson attacks meant to undermine German military support for Ukraine.
According to prosecutors, the pair—only identified as Dieter S. and Alexander J.—were arrested in the city of Bayreuth in southeastern Germany on Wednesday (Apr. 17).
The main accused, Dieter S., was alleged to have scouted potential targets for attacks, "including facilities of the US armed forces" stationed in Germany.
Police officers also searched both men's residences and workplaces on Wednesday. They were suspected of "having been active for a foreign intelligence service" in what prosecutors described as a "particularly serious case" of espionage.
Dieter S. had been exchanging information with a person linked to Russian intelligence services since October 2023, discussing possible sabotage acts, prosecutors alleged.
"The actions were intended, in particular, to undermine the military support provided from Germany to Ukraine against the Russian aggression," they added.
Meanwhile, fellow accused Alexander J. began assisting Dieter S. in March 2024 at the latest.
Dieter S. scouted some of the potential targets by taking photos and videos of military transport and equipment. He then allegedly shared the information with his contact person.
He also faces a separate charge of belonging to a foreign terrorist organization, as prosecutors strongly suspect that he was a fighter of an armed unit of the so-called "People's Republic of Donetsk" in eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2016.
German Attorney-General Marco Buschmann told German news agency DPA that the two arrests were "another significant investigative success" in the fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin's sabotage and spy networks.
According to Agence France Presse, Germany has been plagued by several cases of alleged spying for Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, amid suggestions that officials in Berlin were too sympathetic to the Kremlin.
A former German intelligence officer is currently on trial in Berlin, accused of handing information to Moscow that showed Germany had access to details of Russian mercenary operations in Ukraine. He denies the charges.
In November 2022, a German man was also handed a suspended sentence for passing information to Russian intelligence services while working as a reserve officer for the German Army.
