They had been hired by Russian intelligence and had targeted military transport routes in Germany to sabotage aid to Kiev. With this heavy accusation, two agents were arrested in Bavaria who allegedly planned incendiary and explosive attacks against military infrastructure and industrial sites on the territory of the Federal Republic, and who also spied on American NATO bases in the country led by Olaf Scholz. A very serious case which led within a few hours of official confirmation - after the Spiegel preview - the summoning of the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and the announcement of an increase in security measures by the Interior Ministry . The German government's line, meanwhile, does not change. "We will not be intimidated and will continue to provide massive support to Ukraine," said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. While Annalena Baerbock, in Capri for the second day of the G7 of Foreign Ministers, reacted with a fiery post on bring your terrorism to Germany. This was communicated to the Russian ambassador today in the summons." The news of the arrests comes on the day in which Chancellor Scholz, in Brussels, reminded partners that his government has provided two Patriot anti-aircraft defense systems, encouraging allies to do their part, while the number two of the executive, the green Robert Habeck showed up unexpectedly in Kiev also to talk about reconstruction.
Returning to the operation ordered by the federal prosecutor's office, on Wednesday morning Dieter S., 39 years old, and Alexander J., 37, born in Russia but both also of German nationality, were arrested. The attention of the investigators was focused above all on the first, a former militiaman who operated among the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2016. The investigations revealed that the man had been in contact since last October with some of the Russian services to consult on possible sabotage actions in Germany. In particular, he would have made himself available for incendiary and explosive ambushes, especially on infrastructures and industrial sites used for military purposes. Among the possible targets, there are also bases of American soldiers in the Federal Republic, such as that of Grafenwoehr, in Rhineland-Palatinate, the Dpa revealed. The second arrested, Alexander J., reportedly collaborated in the plans only since March. The investigators searched the homes of both. While Bild talked about the 50 square meter two-room apartment, in one of the terraced buildings in a small town in Bavaria, Heinersreuth, in the Bayreuth area, where the ex-fighter lived without arousing the suspicion of the neighbours, who define him as a type of normal and respectful ways. While the German media, in light of the averted threat, are questioning how exposed Germany is to Russian reprisals for its support for Ukraine, a spy in the service of Moscow was also arrested in Poland, who is said to have even planned an attack on President Volodymyr Zelensky. In this case it was Pawel K. who ended up in handcuffs, accused of having worked to "collect and provide information to the military secret services of the Russian Federation, in particular to help the Russian special services plan a possible attack against Ukrainian President Zelensky" , as stated in a statement from the Polish prosecutor's office.