Germany arrests Ukrainian national suspected of spying for Russia
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Germany's Federal Criminal Police arrested a Ukrainian citizen in the state of Brandenburg, surrounding Berlin, for suspected espionage on behalf of a Russian intelligence agency, Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office said on Oct. 22.
The suspect, identified as Vadym Y., was arrested in the Oder-Spree district of Brandenburg a week after an investigating judge issued a warrant on Oct. 15, the prosecutor's office said.
Vadym Y. had been in contact with Russian intelligence through an interlocutor since at least July 2025, the prosecutor's office said. He allegedly collected relevant information in connection with Russia's war against Ukraine, including on the production of armored vehicles, ammunition, and explosives, as well as on military personnel and facilities on NATO's eastern flank.
While some of the information was publicly available, according to the prosecutor's office, the suspect allegedly also obtained details by deliberately approaching people working in the European defense industry.
The information on the suspected spy comes primarily from Germany's domestic intelligence service (BfV).
This incident comes a day after Germany's military for the first time classified Russian sabotage threats against its troops and facilities as "significant," German news outlet Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Oct. 21.
Reviewing internal documents from Germany's armed forces, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that this is the military's second-highest threat classification.
"We are noting that we face a significant sabotage threat overall for [Germany's armed forces]," said a defense ministry spokesperson, according to Reuters.
Germany's reclassification of Russian threats comes as experts warn Russia is testing how far it can push Europe without triggering open war — from drones crossing NATO airspace to sabotage and cyberattacks across the continent. Europe has strengthened its defenses since 2022, but key gaps remain, including in air defense, communications, intelligence, and joint command, experts say.
On Oct. 5, Martin Jaeger, head of Germany's foreign intelligence service, told lawmakers that Germany is in a "shadow war" with Russia and risks being drawn into a violent conflict with Moscow.
