Germany Arrests Kazakh Man Accused of Spying for Russia

By AFP April 29, 2026

A Kazakh man has been arrested in Berlin on suspicion of spying for Russia, German prosecutors said Wednesday, the latest alleged Moscow-linked espionage plot uncovered in the country.

Prosecutors said the man gave his Russian intelligence handler information about German military aid for Ukraine and photos of NATO military convoys moving along motorways. He also allegedly identified possible targets for sabotage.

Authorities in Germany have uncovered scores of suspected espionage, sabotage and disinformation plots tied to Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The suspect in the latest case, partially identified as Sergej K., had been "in continuous contact from Germany with a Russian intelligence service" since at least May last year, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

He is also accused of passing information to Russian intelligence on German defense contractors developing drone and robotics technology, as well as of supplying his handler with numerous photos of public buildings around Berlin, it said.

Sergej K. volunteered to help recruit other possible sabotage and espionage agents in Germany, according to the statement, though it did not specify whether he was successful in that effort.

Police arrested him on Tuesday. Prosecutors said he would be brought before a judge on Wednesday.

Russia has repeatedly denied being behind any of the alleged plots.

Read more about: Germany

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