German Military Employee Arrested for Allegedly Spying for Russia

(Photo: Adam Berry/Getty Images) A sign with the slogan of the German military, "We. Serve. Germany," ("Wir. Dienen. Deutschland." in German), is seen at a ceremony in which new recruits of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, take their oath of service, on July 20, 2023, in Berlin, Germany. A Bundeswehr employee was arrested on August 9, 2023, after he allegedly visited Russia’s diplomatic offices in Bonn and Berlin.

A man working for Germany's armed forces, or Bundeswehr has been arrested Wednesday (August 9) on suspicion of spying for the Kremlin.

The alleged spy was arrested in the city of Koblenz in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Prosecutors said the suspect approached the Russian consulate in the city of Bonn as well as the Russian embassy in Berlin.

German attorney-general Marco Buschmann commended the work of federal prosecutors, saying the suspect was an officer in the German military "strongly suspected" of working for a foreign secret service, as per German public broadcaster DW.

What Was Known of the Spy So Far

In a statement, German authorities have identified the alleged spy as Thomas H., saying he visited the Russian offices "on his own initiative" multiple times since May and offered his compensation.

Prosecutors added the man worked for the Bundeswehr's procurement agency, the Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support department, and allegedly provided information on his work to the diplomatic missions with the intention of having it passed on to a Russian secret service agent.

Der Generalbundesanwalt hat heute einen deutschen Offizier festnehmen lassen, der dringend verdächtig ist, für einen ausländischen Geheimdienst tätig gewesen zu sein. Ich danke allen, die daran beteiligt waren. Wachsamkeit bleibt das Gebot der Stunde.
— Marco Buschmann (@MarcoBuschmann) August 9, 2023

German Security Officials: Beware of 'Aggressive' Russian Espionage

In the wake of the arrest, German domestic security agency BfV warned the public of an "aggressive Russian espionage operation," due, in part, to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The BfV's annual report said Russian intelligence services were trying to "bring new employees to Germany."

"In the future, a more clandestine and aggressive Russian espionage operation is to be expected as well as cyberspace activities originating from Russia," it added.

According to Politico, the arrest was not the first time German defense or security personnel have spied for the Kremlin, as there were two arrests already made in 2022.

In mid-April, Germany expelled a number of Russian diplomats over espionage concerns, after which Moscow ordered over 20 German diplomats to leave Russia.

A month later, Russia limited the number of German personnel in the country to 350, effectively expelling hundreds of members of staff of diplomatic missions and other institutions.

In response, Berlin ordered the closure of four of Russia's five consulates in Germany.