Germany arrests Kazakhstan citizen accused of spying for Russia

Prosecutors accidental the man, identified lone arsenic ‘Sergej K’, has been successful ‘continuous contact’ with Russian intelligence.

German authorities person arrested a Kazakh antheral successful Berlin connected suspicion of spying for Russia, according to the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

Identified lone arsenic Sergej K, the antheral had been “in continuous interaction from Germany with a Russian quality service” since astatine slightest May past year, the bureau said successful a connection connected Wednesday, a time aft the arrest.

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Prosecutors said Sergej K provided his Russian handler with details astir German subject assistance for Ukraine, including companies progressive successful processing drones and robotic systems. He besides allegedly sent photos of NATO subject convoys and nationalist buildings successful Berlin.

Other activities included offering to find different espionage agents successful Germany, prosecutors added, but they did not marque wide whether helium had done so.

There was nary contiguous absorption from Kazakhstan oregon Russia.

Previous cases

The lawsuit is the latest successful a drawstring of Moscow-linked espionage and disinformation plots German authorities assertion to person discovered since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine successful 2022.

Two German-Russian dual nationals were arrested successful 2024 connected suspicion of plotting sabotage attacks connected United States subject sites successful Germany to undermine Western subject enactment for Ukraine.

German constabulary person besides arrested assorted alleged “disposable” agents, known to transportation retired sabotage and espionage without immoderate ceremonial grooming for Russia successful speech for tiny payments.

Earlier this month, Berlin summoned the Russian ambassador to condemn what it called “direct threats” against “targets successful Germany”.

Berlin’s Federal Foreign Office said astatine the clip that the threats were intended to undermine Germany’s enactment for Ukraine. “Our effect is clear: we volition not beryllium intimidated. Such threats and each forms of espionage successful Germany are wholly unacceptable,” the Foreign Office said.

Germany has besides accused “state-sponsored” Russian hackers of carrying retired an “intolerable” 2023 cyberattack connected members of the Social Democratic Party, a complaint that Russia’s embassy successful Germany “categorically rejected”.

Meanwhile, Russia has essentially banned Germany’s planetary broadcaster Deutsche Welle connected the grounds that it produces “hostile anti-Russian propaganda”.

Moscow has repeatedly denied immoderate engagement successful Germany-based espionage schemes.