German Government Official Allegedly Engaged in Espionage for Russia

A German government official has been apprehended in Germany on allegations of sharing classified information with Russia. The individual, identified only as Thomas H in accordance with German privacy regulations, was employed by a department focused on military equipment and information technology. It is claimed that he took independent initiative to visit both the Russian embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn, offering his services.

After being presented before a judge on Wednesday, he was taken into custody pending a trial. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann took to the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce the arrest, emphasizing the need for vigilance.

The accused is believed to have handed over information gathered through his professional responsibilities with the intention of it reaching a Russian intelligence agency, as stated by the federal prosecutor’s office. The arrest took place in Koblenz, western Germany, accompanied by searches of his home and workplace.

This incident follows a warning issued in June by the domestic security agency, the BfV, about the potential threat of an “aggressive Russian espionage operation” amidst Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. This isn’t the first occurrence of its kind since the Russian invasion began in February the previous year.

In a separate case from January, another German citizen named Arthur E was arrested under suspicion of treason for his alleged role in a plot to supply intelligence to Russia. He was thought to be associated with an employee of the German foreign intelligence service (BND) who had been apprehended in December on charges of spying for Russia.

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