German Special Services Foiled a Russian Sabotage Operation Against a Defense Facility

Two individuals were detained on the Serbian-Hungarian border who, according to preliminary reports, were planning a sabotage operation on German territory on behalf of Russian special services.

German media BILD reported on this, citing its own sources.

According to journalists, the detainees turned out to be so-called “one-time agents.” Russian handlers use such individuals to carry out isolated tasks in exchange for a small financial reward.

During a search, an explosive device was found on the detainees. The perpetrators’ intended target was reportedly a defense facility in Germany involved in providing military aid to Ukraine; however, the exact name of the facility has not been disclosed.

The border apprehension operation took place in early June, based on intelligence provided by German special services and other friendly intelligence agencies.

The apprehension was cited as one of the first results of the work of the new German Center for Countering Hybrid Threats, which opened in Berlin in June.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed during the presentation of a counterintelligence report that an explosives attack had been prevented. According to him, German law enforcement agencies took timely operational action against individuals who were preparing to launch an attack on German soil.