Suspected spy accused of giving info to Russian intelligence in Berlin

German prosecutors have filed charges against a suspected spy for Russia, accusing her of passing information to an intelligence operative at the Russian embassy, reported dpa.

Federal prosecutors based in Karlsruhe said on Monday she had been charged with covert intelligence agent activity.

The German-Ukrainian dual national was arrested in January and has been in custody since then.

The alleged agent is said to have been in contact with the intelligence officer since October 2023 at the latest.

"For years, the accused provided him with numerous tips about high-profile events and ensured that he was able to attend such events, in some cases under a false name," the prosecutors' statement said.

"This was intended to enable him to build his own network for intelligence purposes."

The suspect also tried to "recruit people from the Ministry of Defence and from the arms industry for her purposes," the prosecutors said.

Acting on behalf of the intelligence officer, she sought information on German defence policy and the arms industry, particularly in relation to Russia's war on Ukraine.

The courts must now decide whether the case should go to trial.

Prosecutors say that on the day of the arrest in January, searches were carried out not only at the woman's premises but also at those of two other accused individuals.

The searches took place in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Brandenburg and in Munich. At the time, the authorities did not provide any further details about the co-defendants. They are not currently in detention.

According to earlier information obtained by dpa, the operation also targeted two former members of the German armed forces. These were a staff officer who had only recently retired, and a senior civil servant who had left the Bundeswehr more than 15 years previously.

At the time, it was reported that the two were suspected of having disclosed official information to an intermediary. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has not currently provided any information regarding possible co-defendants.

The alleged spy had been living in Germany for several decades, dpa has learnt. She offered marketing services and was chair of a lobbying association. Security sources stated at the time of her arrest in January that she had long been known as a pro-Russian networker. She was active in Berlin's political circles and took part in various political events.

No details have yet emerged regarding any relevant payments made to the accused. The woman's previous statements apparently suggest that she acted for ideological reasons rather than for financial gain.

The day after the arrest, the Foreign Office summoned the Russian ambassador in connection with the espionage allegations. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that it had been "made clear to him that this is a hostile act and that intelligence activities in our country are completely unacceptable - particularly under the guise of diplomacy."

The Foreign Office stated that the ambassador had been informed "that a member of staff at the Embassy of the Russian Federation, accredited as a diplomat, who had been engaged in espionage in Germany, had been declared persona non grata with immediate effect".

According to dpa reports, the individual in question was the deputy Russian military attaché. The Kremlin later responded by expelling a German diplomat from Russia.