Germany prosecutes three men for planning murder of Ukrainian ex-soldier

In Frankfurt, three men have been indicted for allegedly spying for Russia. The suspects, an Armenian, a Ukrainian, and a Russian, are accused of planning a murder on behalf of the Russian intelligence service. They were arrested last June.

According to German prosecutors, one of the suspects, the Armenian, was tasked in May 2024 with spying on a former Ukrainian soldier who had fought against Russian forces during the early stages of the large-scale invasion. The soldier suffered severe injuries and was subsequently residing in Germany.

The trio arranged a meeting with the ex-soldier at a café in central Frankfurt. Prosecutors claim the suspects sought to gather more information about the victim. However, the former officer grew suspicious and alerted the police, leading to their arrest the same day.

This case follows other recent arrests in Germany related to Russian espionage. Last week, a trial began in Munich against three German-Russian men accused of planning bomb attacks to sabotage Germany's support for Ukraine.