A Ukrainian citizen, Vadym Y., was detained in the German state of Brandenburg on suspicion of spying for Russia, Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office said.
According to investigators, the suspect had been in contact with Russian intelligence services through an intermediary since no later than July 2025. Prosecutors believe he collected military intelligence, including information on the production of armored vehicles, ammunition, and explosives, as well as on personnel and military facilities in areas intended to ensure the security of NATO’s eastern flank.
Some of this information was publicly available, while other information was obtained from representatives of the European defense industry.
The court is expected to consider a motion to place the suspect in pretrial detention on October 23.
According to a report by Der Spiegel, the suspect is 53 years old. The outlet’s sources said he had “shown interest” in the Bundeswehr’s 45th Tank Brigade, which is planned to be fully stationed in Lithuania in 2027.
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