Germany's federal prosecutors said on Thursday that a Ukrainian national has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia, the latest sign of what Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called Moscow's escalating "shadow war" against the country. The man, identified only as Vadym Y. under German privacy rules, was detained in the state of Brandenburg, about 85 kilometres west of Berlin, and is accused of passing military intelligence to the Russian secret service via an intermediary since at least July 2025. Reuters
What the prosecutors allege
According to the statement from the federal public prosecutor's office, Vadym Y. had been in contact with a Russian intelligence service through a go-between for more than a year. Prosecutors say he gathered intelligence on the production of armoured vehicles, ammunition and explosives, as well as on military personnel and defence installations at locations designated to secure NATO's eastern flank.
While some of the information he collected was publicly available, prosecutors said other details were actively solicited from individuals working in the European defence industry. The Russian embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The suspect is due to appear before an investigating judge at Germany's Federal Court of Justice on Friday, when the arrest warrant will be formally presented and a decision made on whether he remains in pre-trial detention. The Jerusalem Post
Merz: 'Not surprised'
Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was meeting regional leaders in Montenegro for the EU-Western Balkans Summit when the news broke, said the arrest did not surprise him — and warned that more such cases would follow. Merz said on Wednesday that Russian disinformation campaigns and hybrid operations now posed the greatest threat to Germany's security, and that Moscow was mounting a broader challenge to the political order established after the Cold War.
Germany has sharply stepped up efforts to counter what it sees as intensifying hybrid attacks from Russia, with Merz deeming Moscow the biggest threat to his country's security. Western officials have warned for months that Russia is mounting sabotage, cyber and espionage operations across Europe aimed at eroding public support for Ukraine — a campaign that has taken on new urgency as US-brokered Ukraine peace efforts face repeated setbacks.
A mounting drone and sabotage threat
The arrest comes against a backdrop of mounting anxiety inside the German security establishment. On Wednesday, the Bundeswehr raised the internal threat level of Russian sabotage against its troops and facilities to "significant" for the first time — the second-highest level on its scale — according to German news reports.
The move followed the mid-September discovery of a crashed drone carrying high explosives near the Wunstorf airbase in Lower Saxony, reported by German outlets WDR and Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Investigators believe that drone, which resembled an explosive-laden unmanned aircraft used in a failed attack at Leipzig/Halle airport in August, had targeted military aircraft. In the Leipzig incident, authorities said the target had been civilian cargo aircraft; the Wunstorf case marked a more direct military threat.
German authorities have blamed Russia for a wave of drone incursions and sabotage incidents that officials describe as part of Moscow's shadow war on the country — a campaign of arson, cyberattacks, assassination plots and espionage running in parallel with the war in Ukraine.
Not the first case
Germany has prosecuted several Russian espionage cases in recent years, reflecting the scale of the intelligence contest playing out on German soil. Earlier this year, a former head of Germany's domestic intelligence service was himself arrested on suspicion of espionage, a case that underscored how deeply Russian recruitment efforts have penetrated German institutions. Chronicle
The Brandenburg case fits a familiar pattern: Russian intelligence services increasingly rely on nationals of third countries — rather than their own citizens — to carry out collection and sabotage, a tactic that makes detection harder and plausible deniability easier.
What happens next
Prosecutors have not disclosed how Vadym Y. came to their attention, nor whether the case is connected to any of the recent drone incidents. The Friday hearing before the investigating judge will determine whether he stays in custody while the investigation continues — a probe that, given the breadth of the alleged collection, could run for many months.
For Berlin, though, the arrest's significance goes beyond a single case. With the sabotage threat level at a record high and drones probing military installations, the Merz government is treating the episode as further evidence that the confrontation with Moscow extends far beyond Ukraine's battlefields — and that Germany, as NATO's logistical hub on the eastern flank, is squarely in the crosshairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in Germany on spying charges?
A Ukrainian national identified by federal prosecutors only as Vadym Y., arrested in the state of Brandenburg on suspicion of passing military intelligence to the Russian secret service via an intermediary since at least July 2025.
What kind of intelligence was he accused of collecting?
According to prosecutors, information on the production of armoured vehicles, ammunition and explosives, as well as military personnel and defence installations at locations designed to secure NATO's eastern flank — some of it solicited from people in the European defence industry.
How has the German government reacted?
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was "not surprised" by the arrest and warned there would be more such cases, calling Russian disinformation and hybrid operations the greatest threat to Germany's security. The Bundeswehr has separately raised the threat level of Russian sabotage against its troops and facilities to "significant".
Is this related to the recent drone incidents in Germany?
Prosecutors have not publicly linked the arrest to any specific drone case. But the arrest comes weeks after explosive-laden drones were found near the Wunstorf airbase and Leipzig/Halle airport, incidents German authorities have blamed on Russia as part of a "shadow war" of sabotage.
