Germany arrests Ukrainian man accused of spying on arms manufacturer
The suspect, held in custody, is accused of passing images of a defence firm to a foreign intelligence service in June.
German authorities have detained a Ukrainian national on suspicion of spying for a foreign intelligence service, marking one of the first cases handled by a new national centre set up to counter hybrid threats.
The man was arrested on 2 August in the central state of Thuringia. Prosecutors say he acted as a "low-level agent", photographing an arms manufacturer in June and offering the images to his handlers. He has been remanded in custody while awaiting trial.
A coordinated response to hybrid threats
The investigation is being run under the auspices of the Nationales Abwehrzentrum, a body established to pool intelligence from domestic and foreign agencies. Its creation reflects mounting concern in Berlin that traditional espionage is increasingly blended with sabotage and cyber operations.
Officials have not named the foreign power involved, but the centre's mandate explicitly highlights Russia as the primary source of hybrid activity targeting German infrastructure and defence industry.
Drone incident raises alarm
Days before the arrest, security services found a drone carrying explosives close to a Ukrainian transport aircraft at Leipzig-Halle airport. Dobrindt described the episode as a "hybrid attack scenario" and warned it signalled an escalation in the threat picture facing Germany and its allies.
The suspect remains in pre-trial detention. Prosecutors will now build a case around the photographic evidence and any communications with his alleged handlers. A conviction could carry a lengthy prison sentence under German espionage law.
