Germany arrests Ukrainian citizen over spying for Russia
Pixabay/aitoff
A dual Ukrainian–German citizen was arrested on suspicion of supplying the Russian military intelligence with information about Western military aid to Ukraine, German federal prosecutors said on Jan. 21.
The statement identified the suspect only as Ilona V. Authorities say she has maintained contact with the Russian Embassy in Berlin since November 2023 and communicated with an agent working for Russian intelligence.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Ilona V. gathered details on participants in high-level political events, the locations of defense-industrial sites, drone testing, and planned UAV shipments to Ukraine. At times, she approached former employees of Germany’s Defense Ministry whom she knew personally to obtain sensitive information.
Prosecutors say Ilona V. then delivered the collected intelligence to her embassy contact. She also allegedly helped that contact attend political functions in Berlin under assumed names to cultivate valuable connections.
As part of the operation, authorities searched Ilona V.’s Berlin residence. They also conducted raids at the homes of two other suspects in the Havelland district of Brandenburg, the Ahrweiler district of Rhineland-Palatinate, and in Munich.
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