Ukrainian Citizen Suspected of Spying for Russia to Stand Trial in Germany

A 53-year-old Ukrainian citizen will stand trial in Germany after being accused of spying for Russia.

According to ntv, prosecutors in Düsseldorf have charged him with working for a Russian intelligence service.

According to investigators, the defendant had been gathering information in Germany since at least November 2025 about a man who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

He allegedly passed the information he collected to Russian intelligence.

Prosecutors believe the man’s alleged espionage activities may also have been intended to prepare for further intelligence operations in Germany.

The Ukrainian citizen was arrested on March 27, 2026. The case is now expected to proceed to trial.

In September, German authorities charged Ilona V., a businesswoman with dual German and Ukrainian citizenship, with spying for Russia.

According to investigators, she used her contacts in political and military circles to gather information about Germany’s defense policy.

“The defendant is strongly suspected of acting as an agent of a foreign intelligence service,” prosecutors stated.

Authorities arrested the woman on January 21. According to investigators, she had been in contact with a Russian intelligence officer stationed at the Russian Embassy in Berlin since at least October 2023. She had an extensive network of contacts in military and political circles.

This year, Germany has also seen an increase in acts of sabotage targeting various facilities. In particular, a fire near the offices of defense companies Rohde & Schwarz and Helsing in Munich on September 3 has been linked to Russian military intelligence.