BERLIN, DE – German authorities have apprehended two individuals of German-Russian descent on suspicion of espionage for Russia. The pair are alleged to have identified potential targets for attacks, including American military installations in Germany, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the Federal Public Prosecutor General for Karlsruhe.
The suspects were apprehended in Bayreuth, a town in Bavaria, amid escalating tensions between Russia and the West, following Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine initiated by President Vladimir Putin over two years ago. The individuals, identified as Dieter S. and Alexander J., are believed to be undermining Germany’s military support to Ukraine.
Dieter S. and Alexander J., purportedly linked to a Russian intelligence service, are accused of collecting data on possible targets for sabotage operations. Since October 2023, Dieter S. has allegedly been communicating with a person associated with a Russian secret service, discussing plans to attack military infrastructure and industrial sites in Germany. He is reported to have personally visited some of the proposed sites, documenting them with photos and videos.
Both suspects’ residences and workplaces were examined, and an additional arrest warrant was issued for Dieter S. on suspicion of association with the foreign terrorist organization DPR, the Russian-backed authority in the occupied eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, also known as the Donetsk People’s Republic.
An investigation by German publication Der Spiegel revealed that the suspects were spying on military sites, including U.S. military facilities in Grafenwoehr, Bavaria, a crucial training site where U.S. forces have been training Ukrainian soldiers to operate U.S.-made Abrams tanks.
In response to the incident, Germany summoned the Russian ambassador in Berlin to the Federal Foreign Office. The Russian Embassy labeled the move a provocation and dismissed the spying allegations as “absurd and ridiculous.”
The arrests have heightened concerns about the extent of Russian espionage activities in Germany. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser referred to the alleged espionage as a “particularly serious case” and reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, despite intimidation attempts.
The arrests in Bavaria mirror incidents in Poland in March 2023, where authorities claimed to have dismantled a Russian spy network aiming to sabotage Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there has been a significant increase in reports of suspicious drone activity over barracks where Ukrainian soldiers undergo training.