Munich – A Munich court will deliver its verdict on Thursday in the trial of a German-Russian national on charges of spying for Moscow and plotting sabotage acts to undermine Germany’s support for Ukraine.
The defendant, named as Dieter S., is thought to be an example of what Germany refers to as “low-level agents” recruited by Moscow.
German authorities have repeatedly raised the alarm about such agents, supposedly recruited via social media to carry out tasks such as taking photos of sensitive sites, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Dieter S. is accused of scouting out targets for potential attacks, including US military bases, a loading station and a tool manufacturing company.
He allegedly took photos and videos of the sites that he passed on to a contact in the Russian intelligence services.
Prosecutors also accuse him of fighting for the self-proclaimed “People’s Republic of Donetsk”, a pro-Russian militia in eastern Ukraine, between 2014 and 2016.
It was during this time that he came into contact with his accomplice in the Russian intelligence services, according to prosecutors.
Two more German-Russian dual nationals, named as Alexander J. and Alex D., are also on trial for allegedly supporting his activities.
Prosecutors have demanded eight years and eight months in jail for Dieter S., and suspended sentences for his alleged accomplices.
Dieter S. was born in Siberia in 1984 and came to Germany with his family in 1998, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
After his arrest, his first words were that he wanted a visit from Russian consular officials, the newspaper reported.
From October 2023, Dieter S. is accused of “exchanging information” with his Russian contact about possible sabotage operations in Germany, according to prosecutors.
‘Hybrid’ warfare
The operations were allegedly intended to “undermine the military support provided by Germany to Ukraine” as it has sought to repel Russian forces.
The suspect “declared his willingness to carry out explosive and arson attacks on military infrastructure and industrial sites” and to sabotage railway lines used to transport military goods, prosecutors say.
Dieter S. has denied all the charges against him.
Berlin has been on high alert for sabotage plots since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It has repeatedly accused Moscow of conducting “hybrid” warfare – a novel form of largely unconventional warfare that can involve sabotage, disinformation campaigns and other disruptive attacks.
German prosecutors in May charged three people with spying for tailing a former Ukrainian soldier on behalf of Russian intelligence as part of a potential assassination plot.
The same month, three Ukrainians were arrested for allegedly plotting sabotage attacks on goods traffic for Russia.
Low-level agents are also thought to have been behind a plot that led to the explosion of parcels at two DHL logistics facilities in Germany and Britain in July last year.
Sinan Selen, the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, warned in August that “our country is the target of a wide range of Russian actions: in addition to low-level agents, these increasingly include cyberattacks, disinformation and tangible sabotage.”
Such acts are intended to stir up fear, uncertainty and doubt about democracy, he said.
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Source: AFP
