18 April 2024 , 07:06
744
0
Two suspected Russian spies have been arrested, accused of spying on US military bases and planning attacks in Germany to undermine military support for Ukraine.
Special forces flocked to Bayreuth in the southeast German state of Bavaria to arrest two suspected Russian secret service agents, Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office announced on Thursday. One of the suspects, known as only 'Dieter S', is a 39-year-old of German-Russian descent, hailing from the state of Bavaria in southeast Germany.
He was allegedly supported by 37-year-old 'Alexander J'. Authorities searched the homes and workplaces of the two suspects, who were both arrested in Bayreuth on Wednesday, the statement said.
READ MORE: Putin 'holds brand new super missile that could avoid NATO detection by pirouetting in the sky'
The US base in Grafenwöhr is used by the military to train Ukrainian troops (AFP via Getty Images)Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel has accused the pair of espionage by "depicting" military facilities in a way that compromises security – including being prepared to carry out a bomb attack on a base operated by US forces. Dieter S is also said to have recced US military facilities where the US Army trains Ukrainian soldiers in Grafenwöhr, Bavaria, before taking photographs to send on to Russians agents, according to the investigation.
Putin accused of surrounding himself with same 'actors' at series of events
His purported goal was to target transport routes used to move arms deliveries, including those sent for support of the Ukrainian army against Russian aggressors.
Alongside the training camp in Grafenwöhr, the United States Army Garrison (USAG) Bavaria – comprised of four locations – also includes Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Hohenfels Military Community and Garmisch Military Community.The suspected spies allegedly agreed to carry out arson and explosive attacks on military infrastructure, arms factories and industrial sites.
The sabotage attacks are believed to be an attempt to undermine military support for Ukraine. Investigators believe that Dieter S and Alexander J have also been leaking intel to the Russia secret service contacts about sabotage operations in Germany since 2023.
United States Army Garrison (USAG) Bavaria includes four locations (AFP via Getty Images)For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to
Dieter S was carrying a firearm upon his arrest, according to the Federal Prosecutor's Office. The alleged spy was previously flagged by German security services as a known member of 'Donetsk People's Republic' between 2014 and 2016. The militia, branded a terrorist organisation by both Ukraine and Germany, is comprised of Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation against Dieter S on suspicion of planning violent attacks that would endanger the state.
After the US, Germany is the second largest donor of military aid to Ukraine, providing an estimated £24 billion since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. On an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Germany's Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck, said his trip coincides "at a time when Ukraine needed all the support it can get in its fight for freedom".
The German government is leading the way to help bolster Ukraine's air defences. On Wednesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged EU countries to support Ukraine with additional air defence systems, especially Patriot systems.
Germany has already provided Ukraine with two Patriot air defences and it has promised a third.