Germany expels Russian diplomat over espionage accusations

Germany's Diplomatic Actions Against Espionage

FRANKFURT, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Germany is expelling a member of Russia's diplomatic service suspected of espionage, the German foreign ministry said on Thursday, the latest sign of intensifying Russian intelligence activities in Europe since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Details of the Espionage Case

Berlin also summoned the Russian ambassador to inform him of the expulsion, it added.

Response from Russian Embassy

"The German government does not tolerate espionage in Germany – especially not under the guise of diplomatic status," the foreign ministry said in a post on X.

Implications for European Security

The Russian Embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Security services across Europe have warned of a growing threat from Russian intelligence agencies seeking to deter Western powers from backing Ukraine against Russia's full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.

Spiegel newsmagazine reported on Thursday that German authorities had accused the diplomat, the Russian embassy's deputy military attache, of being the main handler for a German-Ukrainian woman arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of espionage.

German prosecutors said on Wednesday they had ordered the arrest of a woman they identified only as Ilona W in accordance with German privacy laws. They said she was gathering information on drones destined for Ukraine at political events and through befriending former defence ministry staff.

She had maintained intelligence contacts with the Russian Embassy in Berlin since at least November 2023, according to a statement from the federal prosecutors.

The Russian embassy in Berlin did not respond on Wednesday to an emailed request for comment.

The woman was brought before an investigating judge on Thursday, the prosecutors added.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger and Friederike Heine; editing by Linda Pasquini and Mark Heinrich)