Munich court convicts man of spying and plotting sabotage for Russia

A German court has sentenced the main defendant in a high-profile espionage case to six years in prison for spying and planning sabotage operations on behalf of Russian intelligence, according to a report by Deutsche Welle. Two co-defendants received suspended sentences.

The Higher Regional Court of Munich found Dieter S. guilty of working for Russian security services and preparing attacks on military infrastructure in Germany. According to prosecutors, between October 2023 and April 2024, Dieter S. gathered intelligence on a Bavarian oil refinery, the movement of military equipment in Germany, and the deployment of U.S. troops near Grafenwöhr in the Upper Palatinate region in the east of Bavaria. He was also accused of attempting to organize arson and bomb attacks on railway lines that are used to deliver military aid to Ukraine.

Prosecutors said that between 2014 and 2016, Dieter S. fought alongside pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, where he established contacts with Russian intelligence operatives. He later enlisted two acquaintances, Alexander J. and Alex D., who helped him conduct surveillance of military sites.

All three hold dual German and Russian citizenship. They were arrested in Bavaria in April 2024.

The defendants denied the charges, claiming their discussions about possible sabotage had been “jokes.” The Federal Prosecutor’s Office (Bundesanwaltschaft) had sought an eight-year, eight-month prison sentence for Dieter and one-year suspended sentences for his two associates. The defense argued for a full acquittal.