Ex-German officer admits spying for Russia, citing Ukraine crisis fears

During a trial in Dusseldorf, a former German military officer admitted to offering himself as a spy to Russia due to fears of nuclear escalation in the Ukraine conflict.

A former German military officer confessed in court on Monday of having offered himself as a spy to Russia, citing fears of a possible nuclear escalation in the conflict in Ukraine as his motive.

On the opening day of the trial at the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf, Thomas H. said he had suffered psychological problems last year and feared for his family’s safety during the conflict.

The 54-year-old defendant admitted that he had contacted Russian diplomatic channels in Germany and shared some documents with them but claimed that these documents did not contain any important information.

In addition to his espionage activities, the defendant also admitted that he had applied for membership in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and officially joined it last year.

Thomas H., who was arrested in Koblenz last year, worked for the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support.

Espionage cases raise concerns

The trial represents just one of the many security and intelligence challenges facing Berlin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office, on April 18, German authorities arrested two German-Russian men suspected of plotting military sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence.

Also in March, Russian state media intercepted an audio recording of senior German military officials discussing weapons shipped to Ukraine and other classified information. This sparked a major international diplomatic backlash.

Source: AA