A German court has ordered the detention of a Ukrainian citizen on suspicion of collecting military information in favor of Russia. The man has been identified as Vadim J. under German data protection rules, the Federal Prosecutor's Office of Germany announced.
According to the indictment, he collected information on arms production, servicemen and military facilities related to the defense of NATO's eastern flank. Investigators believe that the man has been in contact with a Russian intelligence service through an intermediary since at least July 2025.
Some of the information was publicly available. However, other data was sought by representatives of the European arms industry, the prosecutor's office said. The suspect was arrested by the Federal Criminal Police in the state of Brandenburg.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the crackdown was a success, but warned that Russian intelligence activity in Germany remained intense.
“We must not be fooled. The activity of the Russian intelligence services in Germany remains as intense as ever,“ Merz said during a visit to Montenegro.He said more such cases would likely be uncovered in the coming months and years.
A series of espionage cases
The arrest is the latest in a series of cases in Germany involving suspicions of espionage for Russia. In January, a German citizen of Ukrainian origin was arrested on suspicion of collecting intelligence information for her contact at the Russian embassy.
In March, a Romanian citizen was detained on suspicion of spying on a person who was supplying drones and components from Germany to Ukraine. Others arrested this year and last year are accused of acting on behalf of Chinese or Iranian intelligence services.
August Hanning, who headed Germany's Federal Intelligence Service from 1998 to 2005, was also arrested in early October. He is suspected of passing state secrets to a foreign intelligence service. The prosecutor's office did not specify which country was behind the alleged receipt of the classified information.
The allegations against Vadim J. are not proven guilt. The detention measure is part of the ongoing criminal proceedings.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com, tagesschau.de