Police have arrested two suspected Russian spies in Bayreuth, Bavaria. The saboteurs probably wanted to interfere with German aid to Ukraine.
Update from April 18th, 12:52 p.m.:
After two suspected Russian spies were caught in Bayreuth, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) summoned the Russian ambassador to Germany. This was reported by the news portal
t-online,
citing the Foreign Office.
Update from April 18, 10:20 a.m.:
After the arrest of two suspected Russian secret service spies, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) reaffirmed German support for Ukraine. “Our security authorities prevented possible explosive attacks that were intended to target and undermine our military assistance to Ukraine,” said Faeser.
Spies from Russia in Bavaria: Faeser speaks out after arrest
Since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine launched by President Vladimir Putin, all protective measures "against hybrid threats from the Russian regime" have been ramped up. “We will continue to provide massive support to Ukraine and will not allow ourselves to be intimidated,” said the minister. The current investigation involves a particularly serious case of suspected spy activity for Russia.
Spies from Russia in Bavaria: Germany is being targeted by Putin's secret service
First report from April 18th:
Bayreuth - Germany again, Russian spies again: Germany is repeatedly targeted by Russian secret services because of its aid to Ukraine. Two suspected Russian saboteurs who spied on US bases and planned attacks on military transport routes on behalf of the Kremlin's secret services have now been arrested in Bayreuth, as the news magazine
Spiegel
reported, citing investigative circles. Accordingly, the aid to Kiev in the Ukraine war should be impaired.
Russian spies in Germany: They are said to have planned attacks
According to the news magazine, the access took place as part of an investigation by Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel. On Wednesday morning (April 17), special police forces finally arrived and arrested the suspects. The main accused: The 39-year-old German-Russian Dieter S. from Bavaria. He is accused, among other things, of acting as a secret service agent, acting as an agent for sabotage purposes and “depicting” military facilities in a way that endangers security.
As investigators announced, Dieter S. is said to have been communicating with Russian secret service contacts about sabotage operations in Germany since October 2023. The suspect is also said to have agreed to carry out arson and explosive attacks on military infrastructure and arms factories as well as industrial sites. According to
Spiegel
, it was primarily
about traffic routes that were used to transport military goods. This was intended to make German aid to the Ukrainian military more difficult.
Russian saboteurs photographed US bases in Germany: “Secret service agent activity”
The facilities photographed by Dieter S. are probably US bases, including Grafenwöhr. There, US soldiers train Ukrainian troops who ultimately take part in repelling the Russian attack. Exercises on the Abrams tanks are underway there. There had already been reports of drones spying on these bases. The arrested suspect delivered all of the material to Russian clients. His accomplice: 37-year-old Alexander J., who is also German-Russian. He is also accused of “secret service agent activity”.
The main suspect, Dieter S., is not unknown to the German security authorities. Between 2014 and 2016 he was probably a member of the pro-Russian militia in eastern Ukraine, where the separatist so-called “Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics” were later proclaimed. The territory has now been annexed by Russia by Kremlin decree. Since Germany classifies the group as a terrorist organization, Dieter S. is also accused of participating in a terrorist organization abroad. The two German-Russians are now in custody.
(bb)