The Federal Prosecutor’s Office of Germany has charged three men suspected of espionage on behalf of Russia. Source: Spiegel
The accused are dual citizens of Germany and Russia. They are alleged to have engaged in covert operations serving Russian intelligence agencies.
The principal defendant in the case is 40-year-old Dieter S. from Bayreuth. He is accused of undercover activities aimed at sabotage, collecting intelligence on military facilities, and planning disruptions to railway infrastructure.
According to the investigation, along with two accomplices—38-year-old Alexander J. and 43-year-old Alex D.—Dieter S. gathered information about strategically significant sites in Bavaria. Among the potential targets identified were the U.S. military training ground in Grafenwöhr, where Ukrainian soldiers are trained, an arms manufacturing plant near Bayreuth, and the Parsberg cargo station used for transporting military equipment.
The arrests of Dieter S. and Alexander J. took place in April this year following an intensive investigation conducted by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution’s security and counterintelligence departments. Investigators determined that the suspects discussed potential sabotage plans, including explosions and arson attacks on military infrastructure.
Notably, plans included securing steel brake blocks to railway tracks to cause derailments of trains carrying military supplies. According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, these actions aimed to undermine Germany’s support for Ukraine.
The investigation also revealed that Dieter S. had connections with representatives of Russian intelligence services. These contacts were reportedly established between 2014 and 2016, during which he served as part of armed militant groups in the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR). After returning to Germany, he maintained these connections, which, according to investigators, facilitated his recruitment.
In October 2024, prosecutors charged Dieter S. with participation in a foreign terrorist organization. He is suspected of taking part in battles near Donetsk airport and the Ukrainian town of Maryinka in 2014-2015.
Previously, German law enforcement agencies suspected Russian intelligence of orchestrating an attack on railway infrastructure, which caused train services in northern Germany to be halted for several hours.
