Germany charges Ukrainian in espionage case for Russia

The Dusseldorf Public Prosecutor General's Office has charged a 53-year-old Ukrainian citizen suspected of collaborating with Russian intelligence. According to investigators, the man collected information in Germany about a person who had taken part in combat operations on the side of Ukraine.

This is reported by ntv citing the prosecutor's office.

The suspect lived in the town of Attendorn in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Investigators believe that no later than November 2025 he began working for a Russian intelligence service.

According to the prosecutor's office, the man purposefully collected information about a person living in Germany who, after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, took part in combat operations as part of Ukrainian forces.

According to the investigation, the accused passed the collected information to Russian intelligence until his arrest on March 27, 2026.

The prosecutor's office believes that surveillance may not have been the ultimate goal of the operation. The information obtained was presumably intended for the preparation of further intelligence activities against this person on the territory of Germany. The agency does not disclose details about the nature of possible subsequent actions.

The charges were transferred in early September to the State Security Senate of the Higher Regional Court of Dusseldorf. The court must now decide whether to admit the case for trial on the merits.

The name of the accused is not disclosed by German authorities. It is also not yet reported which specific Russian intelligence service he allegedly worked for and how he maintained contact with the Russian side.

This is not the first recent investigation in Germany related to alleged activities of Russian intelligence services. German law enforcement agencies are investigating several cases of espionage and sabotage, including episodes related to the defense industry and facilities related to assistance to Ukraine.