Russian spies in Germany: just the tip of the iceberg?

 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called for a meeting with the Russian ambassador in Berlin following the arrest of two alleged Russian spies in Bavaria.

 

"It is very dangerous to suspect that the Kremlin is 'recruiting agents here to carry out attacks on German soil'," Baerbock wrote on the X network.

 

Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that high demands are placed on domestic security services because "such espionage activities can never be accepted in Germany."

 

Almost the entire political scene has condemned the alleged Russian espionage activities. However, Moscow claims to know nothing about it.

 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the accusations that Russia was planning attacks on German territory as "absurd." He described the arrest of the two German-Russian citizens as a "provocation" intended to further fuel "spy mania" by Berlin.

 

Espionage and terrorism?

 

Two suspects - Dieter S. (39) and Aleksandar J. (37) - were arrested on Wednesday (April 17) in the Bavarian town of Bayreuth. The suspicions are serious and could ultimately result in sentences of up to ten years in prison.

 

S. and J. allegedly illegally recorded and observed the US military base Grafenwoehr near Bayreuth and provided data to a Russian contact "linked to Russian services."

 

S. is suspected of planning an explosive attack or arson to carry out sabotage on military facilities and infrastructure in Germany. According to leaked information to the media, a specific attack was not immediately imminent.

 

S. is also facing suspicion of being a member of a "terrorist organization" because he carried weapons in the separatist paramilitary forces of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" from 2014 to 2016.

 

Both individuals were born in Russia and hold citizenship in both countries. Their homes and workplaces were searched.

 

Opposition Christian Democratic politician Christoph de Fris told the Handelsblatt that if the accusation of membership in a "terrorist organization" is confirmed, Dieter S. should have his German citizenship revoked.

 

Just the "tip of the iceberg"?

 

Several intelligence experts have told the media that the arrested duo could be just the "tip of the iceberg."

 

"It should be assumed that Dieter S. and his accomplice are not the only team that Russian intelligence services use for these purposes in Germany," said Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, an intelligence expert and former soldier.

 

Around two million so-called Russian Germans have immigrated to Germany in recent decades, obtaining citizenship due to their German roots.

 

Schmidt-Eenboom reminds that as early as 1992, a KGB officer assessed that Russian Germans were a convenient entry point for espionage activities.

 

"We have seen this recently in the actions of many fervent pro-Russian nationalists at pro-Russian demonstrations in Germany," said the expert for the Bavarian public broadcaster.

 

"No country in Europe works more for Ukraine than Germany," evaluates one commentary in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. "This is undoubtedly correct. But from the perspective of the Russian regime, Germany thereby becomes a target."

 

It's not the first time

 

In recent years, there have been several cases of alleged Russian espionage in Germany. Many of them have not yet reached a legal conclusion.

 

In Berlin, a former employee of the BND, the German foreign intelligence service, is being tried. He allegedly passed secret information to the Russian FSB in the fall of 2022, together with a businessman, and received 850,000 euros for it. Both are accused of serious treason.

 

In August of last year, a soldier working at the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support was arrested in Koblenz. He allegedly offered his services to the Russians for months at the Russian embassy and consulate.

 

In November 2022, a former reserve officer of the Bundeswehr was sentenced to a suspended sentence of one year and nine months for supplying the Russian GRU with information on Bundeswehr reservists and cyber capabilities for years.

 

A mysterious case that was briefly reported this February is intriguing. Namely, the German Military Counterintelligence Service claims that drones have been flying over military training grounds in recent months, and it is believed to be Russian attempts to record the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Germany. So far, no one has been arrested in connection with this.

 

At the beginning of March, Germany was shaken by a scandal involving the wiretapping of conversations of the highest-ranking Bundeswehr officers discussing the possibilities of Taurus cruise missiles, which Germany still refuses to supply to Ukraine.

 

The conversation was then published in Russian media and used for Moscow's accusations against Berlin. In Germany, everyone is convinced that it was indeed Russian intelligence services that intercepted the conversation.