Citizen of Kazakhstan detained in Berlin on suspicion of spying for Russia

German federal police detained Sergei K., a citizen of Kazakhstan, on April 28 on suspicion of spying for Russia, Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced earlier today.

Law enforcement officers also searched “the premises of the accused and a person who was not suspected of the crime.” The arrest warrant says Sergei K. is suspected of passing information to a senior intelligence officer in Moscow. They had been in contact since at least May 2025.

“This included, for example, information on the Federal Republic of Germany's military support for Ukraine and on the German arms and defense industry – especially on companies that develop drones and robots. Sergej K. also repeatedly forwarded photos of public buildings in Berlin or of military convoys on highways, including the convoy of a NATO state. In addition, he informed his contact at the secret service about suitable sabotage objects in Germany and offered to recruit more people for a sabotage and espionage force,” the statement said.

Sources told Der Spiegel that most of the information Sergei K. passed to Russia was publicly available and that there were no signs he had actually planned acts of sabotage. He likely contacted Russian intelligence services for ideological reasons.

The previous day, reports confirmed that German law enforcement officers had searched the home of a 43-year-old Lithuanian citizen who had lived in the country for several years. He is suspected of installing video cameras at a railway station in Minden to monitor weapons deliveries intended for Ukraine.