Germany: Ukrainians planned sabotage on behalf of Russia?
Several men have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning attacks on behalf of Russia. Germany has long been a target of foreign intelligence services. What is known about the current case?
In Germany, people suspected of planning various sabotage acts on the orders of the Russian authorities have been arrested again. According to the Federal State Prosecutor's Office, the three men specifically planned to send packages containing bombs. "The accused are suspected of engaging in espionage activities with the aim of carrying out sabotage acts," the State Prosecutor's Office said in a written statement.
All three men are Ukrainian citizens. They were arrested in Konstanz, Cologne and Switzerland on suspicion of intelligence activities. It is suspected that they expressed their willingness to carry out attacks in Germany by the end of March this year at the latest, by setting fires or detonating explosive devices in freight transport. The actual purpose of the possible attack or attacks is not known.
Key tip from abroad
As a test, one of the three, Vladislav T. from Cologne, sent packages containing GPS trackers to track the location of the shipment. He allegedly received the order to carry out this operation from Jevhen B, who received the contents of these shipments, or packages, through the third arrested person, Danilo B.
According to information available to several German media outlets, the authorities received key tips about possible preparations for acts of sabotage from a foreign secret service. In Germany, these tips were first dealt with by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitutional Order (BfV), and then the authorities from the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, namely the Cologne Police, took over the investigation.
What are the possible targets of the attack?
A similar case in Germany was recorded in April 2024. At that time, two men were arrested in Bayreuth, Bavaria. As the competent authorities confirmed, their target was military facilities, namely railways in Germany, through which, among other things, weapons are transported by Germany to help the Ukrainians defend themselves against Russia.
The State Prosecutor's Office is not only charging the arrested with spying on these facilities on the orders of the Russian secret services. One of the arrested men is also alleged to have planned attacks using explosive devices.
"The primary aim of these actions was to undermine the sending of German military aid to Ukraine in defense against Russian aggression," the Federal State Prosecutor wrote at the time in a written statement issued on the occasion of the arrest of the two men. In addition to German, they also had Russian passports. And they did not only photograph German facilities, but also facilities of American military forces stationed in Germany.
The trial of the two men begins in Munich in a few days (May 20). If found guilty, they face up to ten years in prison.
Who is behind the sabotage planning?
Multiple arrests and suspicions of preparing attacks on German soil prove that this country is one of the main targets of possible sabotage. The State Prosecutor's Office suspects that the organizers of these activities are in Russia.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the public has learned about several cases, or rather acts of sabotage, which took place especially in Poland and the Baltic countries. Responsibility for these attacks is attributed to Russia. Several dozen people in these countries have been arrested on suspicion of involvement, and some have already been convicted.
As reported by German media, European security services estimate that the Russian military intelligence service GRU is behind all these operations in several European countries.