Two detained in Germany on suspicion of being Russian spies

German prosecutors said on Thursday that two German-Russian men had been detained in Bavaria on suspicion of spying for Russia and plotting explosions and arson acts to weaken Berlin’s military backing for Ukraine.

Federal prosecutors said in a statement that the two, only known as Dieter S. and Alexander J., were taken into custody on Wednesday in the southeast German city of Bayreuth.

Dieter S., the principal accused, is said to have investigated possible attack targets, “including facilities of the US armed forces” stationed in Germany.

On Wednesday, police officers also searched the homes and workplaces of the two individuals.

They are suspected of “having been active for a foreign intelligence service” in what prosecutors described as a “particularly serious case” of espionage.

According to prosecutors, Dieter S. had been exchanging information with a person linked to Russian intelligence services since October 2023, discussing possible sabotage acts.

“The actions were intended, in particular, to undermine the military support provided from Germany to Ukraine against the Russian aggression,” prosecutors said.

The accused allegedly expressed readiness to “commit explosive and arson attacks mainly on military infrastructure and industrial sites in Germany”.

To this end, Dieter S. collected information about potential targets, “including facilities of the US armed forces”.

Fellow accused Alexander J. began assisting him from March 2024 at the latest, they added.

In addition, Dieter S. is charged with being a member of a foreign terrorist organization because prosecutors believe he served as a fighter for an armed unit of the so-called “People’s Republic of Donetsk” in eastern Ukraine between 2014 and 2016.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, there have been multiple allegations of German officials being too close to Moscow. Dieter S. scouted some of the potential targets by taking pictures and videos of military transport and equipment, which he then allegedly shared with his contact person.

In Berlin, a former German intelligence official is presently on trial for allegedly providing Moscow with material that revealed Germany possessed knowledge of Russian mercenary activities in Ukraine. He refutes the accusations.

Additionally, in November 2022, a German man serving as a reserve officer in the German army was given a suspended sentence for providing information to Russian intelligence agencies.