- German police arrested a Ukrainian man accused of spying for a Russian intelligence agency, federal prosecutors said.
- He allegedly collected militarily relevant information on armored vehicles, ammunition, explosives, personnel and NATO eastern flank facilities.
- Arrested east of Berlin in Brandenburg's Oder-Spree district by the Federal Criminal Police Office, based on BfV information.
- Prosecutors said he had contact with Russian intelligence via an intermediary from at least July 2025.
- Officials said the case shows Russia's espionage escalation and warns Germany faces risk of being drawn into violent conflict.
German police on Thursday arrested a Ukrainian man accused of spying for a Russian intelligence agency with a focus on “militarily relevant information”, federal prosecutors said.
The man, partially named as Vadym Y., allegedly collected “details regarding the production of armoured vehicles, ammunition and explosives, as well as information on personnel and military facilities at locations intended to secure NATO’s eastern flank”, they said.
He was arrested east of Berlin in the Oder-Spree district of Brandenburg state by the Federal Criminal Police Office, based on information from the domestic security agency BfV, they said.
“At least as of July 2025, Vadym Y. was in contact with a Russian intelligence service via an intermediary,” the prosecutors said in their statement.
“Against the backdrop of the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, he gathered militarily relevant information from Germany for that intelligence service.”
They added that he gathered publicly available information but also “specifically targeted individuals within the European defence industry” to obtain other intelligence.
Germany is among the largest supporters of Ukraine as it fights off Moscow’s invasion and has invested record sums into rebuilding its own military to deter Russia.
Berlin has repeatedly accused Moscow of waging a “hybrid” campaign of espionage, sabotage and other disruptions — charges that Moscow has vehemently denied.
Martin Jaeger, head of Germany’s BND spy service, told lawmakers this month that Russia’s undeclared “shadow war” against Germany and its allies was escalating further and has “taken on a new, more dangerous character”.
“Germany is at risk of being drawn into a violent conflict with Russia,” he said at a hearing of parliament’s intelligence oversight committee in Berlin.
