German aerospace firm suspends worker over ties to Russia, far right

An employee of a German aerospace company has been suspended over suspected contacts with Russian institutions and far-right activists, reported dpa.

Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg, a subsidiary of the Liebherr multinational based in southern Germany that is active in the defence sector, said on Tuesday it is "taking the situation seriously" and has "initiated appropriate internal investigations."

The employee has been placed on leave for the duration of the investigation, the firm added.

The company discovered last week following media reports that one of its workers was accused of having contacts in circles close to Russia and of involvement in Germany's "Reich Citizens" scene.

The movement believes that the modern German republic illegitimately replaced the German Empire, or Reich, that was founded in 1871 and continued under the Nazi regime until 1945. They reject the legitimacy of Germany's modern federal state and its laws.

The employee was hired as a strategic buyer in 2011 and has been working in cost analysis since 2021. In both functions, he had no access to strategic or security-relevant data, the company said.

Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg develops and manufactures integrated systems for the aviation industry, including landing gear systems and flight control.

While it does work with the Bundeswehr, the German military, the firm said it is "not involved in classified projects."