Ukrainian and Latvian Nationals Arrested in Germany on Suspicion of Espionage and Planning Sabotage

A Ukrainian and a Latvian national have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of espionage and gathering information to plan acts of sabotage.

Spiegel reported on this.

Law enforcement officials suspect that the men were carrying out tasks for a foreign intelligence service.

The suspects are a 43-year-old Ukrainian and a 45-year-old Latvian citizen, who were detained during a traffic stop on a highway in Bavaria near Neudettelsau on April 12.

During a search of the vehicle, suspicious items were found, including forged identification documents.

In addition, they were carrying a drone, GPS trackers, walkie-talkies, several mobile phones, and SIM cards.

Both suspects are currently in custody. The men have been charged with conducting reconnaissance for the purpose of sabotage and possessing forged documents.

This January, the German Public Prosecutor’s Office reported the detention in Berlin of a German and Ukrainian citizen, Ilona V. Law enforcement suspects her of spying for Russia.

According to the investigation, the woman passed on information related to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Specifically, she collected data on defense industry facilities, drone testing, and plans to supply them to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

To obtain the relevant information, Ilona even reached out to former employees of the German Ministry of Defense whom she knew personally.

In addition, she helped her contact at the Russian diplomatic mission attend political events under false names to establish connections useful to the intelligence services.

In February, the German Ministry of Defense imposed strict restrictions on the use of private mobile phones within the agency due to the threat of espionage from Russia and China.