Germany Arrests Ukrainian Suspected of Spying for Russia

Officers of the German Federal Police stop a van during a patrol near the border with Poland near Forst, eastern Germany, on Oct. 11, 2023. Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images

A Ukrainian man suspected of spying for Russia was arrested near Germany’s eastern border on Oct. 22, where authorities say he collected military intelligence for more than a year.

German prosecutors identified the man only as Vadym Y., adhering to the country’s privacy laws.

He was arrested in the Oder-Spree district in Brandenburg, Germany, on the border with Poland.

Vadym Y., 53, was allegedly in contact with a Russian intelligence service through an intermediary since at least July 2025, according to his arrest warrant.

German investigators said they believe Vadym Y.’s work was associated with the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

He allegedly gathered military-relevant information for the Russian spy agency from his location in Germany, prosecutors said.

This intelligence included “information on the production of armored vehicles, ammunition, and explosives, as well as personnel and military facilities at sites securing NATO’s eastern flank,” officials said.

“Some of the information was publicly available, while the other information the accused specifically recruited from individuals within the European arms industry,” Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General of the Federal Court of Justice said in a statement, according to an unofficial translation.

Vadym Y. is expected to face a judge on Friday to decide if he will be remanded in custody.

The investigation is ongoing.

The arrest comes days after two Ukrainian men, ages 18 and 21, were arrested in northern Denmark and suspected of spying for Russian intelligence services, according to the Brussels Signal.

The men were detained on Monday at the Danish MyDefence counter-drone detection company that supplies equipment to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Danish prosecutors told the court of Aalborg the men photographed the company’s property on Monday and sent the photos via the Telegram messaging app allegedly to Russian spies.

Germany’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann David Wadephul speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, on Sept. 26, 2026. Heather Khalifa/AP Photo

Both men pleaded not guilty on Thursday. A defense attorney said both men had been in the country for less than a year and denied the charges.

Germany has been on alert for suspicious activities in recent months, especially following the discovery of an explosive-laden drone near a Ukrainian cargo plane on Aug. 4 at the Leipzig/Halle Airport.

Officials concluded that Russia was responsible for the attempted attack after finding it was likely a professional act.

Germany’s military, the Bundeswehr, warned its forces on Wednesday of a raised Russian sabotage threat, according to an analysis reported by public broadcaster WDR.

The report highlighted concerns about all-around deterioration in the security situation and a heightened threat of attack on German soil, according to the analysis.

In September, Russia’s top diplomat accused Germany of being Ukraine’s main sponsor and said the country was seeking to be the top military power in Europe.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York City on Sept. 26, 2026. Heather Khalifa/AP Photo

“Does Berlin understand what this could lead to?” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asked in his speech at the U.N. General Assembly’s annual gathering of world leaders.

“Didn’t they learn the lessons of World War II?”

A German foreign minister had called on Russia to abandon its dangerous path of escalation toward Germany, Europe, and NATO during the meeting.