Germany arrests Ukrainian national suspected of spying for Russia
Federal prosecutors say the man, identified as Vadym Y, gathered military intelligence for Moscow as Berlin raises its sabotage threat level.
At a glance
- A Ukrainian national identified as Vadym Y was arrested in Brandenburg, Germany, on suspicion of spying for Russia.
- Prosecutors say he contacted the Russian secret service via an intermediary from at least July 2025.
- Germany's armed forces raised their Russian sabotage threat level to "significant" for the first time on Wednesday.
German federal prosecutors said on Thursday that a Ukrainian national identified only as Vadym Y has been arrested in the state of Brandenburg, about 85km (53 miles) west of Berlin, on suspicion of spying for Russia.
Prosecutors said the suspect had been in contact with the Russian secret service through an intermediary since at least July 2025. He is accused of gathering military intelligence on the production of armoured vehicles, ammunition and explosives, as well as on military personnel and defence installations at locations intended to secure NATO's eastern flank.
Speaking from Montenegro, where he was attending the EU-Western Balkans Summit with regional leaders, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was "not surprised" by news of a suspected Russian spy.
Threat level raised
The arrest follows a series of incidents that German authorities have blamed on Russia as part of what officials describe as Moscow's "shadow war" on the country.
Germany's armed forces on Wednesday raised the threat level of Russian sabotage against their troops and facilities to "significant" for the first time, according to German news reports. That is the second-highest level on the military's internal threat scale.
The change came after the mid-September discovery of a crashed drone carrying high explosives near the Wunstorf airbase in Lower Saxony, German outlets WDR and Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported. The drone resembled another unmanned aircraft, also laden with explosives, used in a failed attack at Leipzig/Halle airport in August.
Authorities said the Leipzig incident targeted civilian cargo aircraft. Investigators believe the Wunstorf drone was aimed at military aircraft, according to an internal military document seen by German media.
Reports also noted a pattern of suspected Russian reconnaissance across Germany, including drones flown over a missile defence site in Saxony-Anhalt and a camouflaged camera found filming a strategically important railway station in Minden, in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Spy chief warns of escalation
Martin Jaeger, head of Germany's BND spy service, told lawmakers this month that Russia's undeclared "shadow war" against Germany and its allies was escalating and had "taken on a new, more dangerous character".
"Germany is at risk of being drawn into a violent conflict with Russia," he told an intelligence oversight committee at the Bundestag, Germany's parliament.
Moscow has denied involvement and maintains that it is not involved in sabotage or hybrid attacks on European nations.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Who was arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia?
- German federal prosecutors said a Ukrainian national identified as Vadym Y was arrested in the state of Brandenburg, about 85km west of Berlin.
- What is the suspect accused of doing?
- Prosecutors say he gathered military intelligence on the production of armoured vehicles, ammunition and explosives, and on military personnel and defence installations securing NATO's eastern flank.
- Why did Germany raise its sabotage threat level?
- The armed forces raised the level to "significant" after a drone carrying high explosives crashed near the Wunstorf airbase in Lower Saxony in mid-September, one of several incidents blamed on Russia.
