The man is suspected of passing documents to a Russian intelligence service for a fee. It is unclear how much he was going to get for that information.
The man’s arrest in Potsdam was preceded by a joint investigation by German and British authorities. The home and workplace of suspect David S. Germany has arrested more people suspected of spying for Russia in recent years. Police arrested another Russian scientist who was working at a German university in June. Ilnur N. could also have passed on information for money.
Red-handed
Other EU member states are also concerned about alleged Russian espionage. In the Netherlands, three years ago, an operation carried out by the Russian military intelligence against the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was thwarted in The Hague. Then the Russians were caught red-handed by the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD). Four employees of the GRU were subsequently expelled from the country.
Russia’s relations with many European countries are tense. This concerns, among other things, Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the downing of Flight MH17 over Ukraine. International investigators say the passenger plane was shot down by a Russian Buk missile fired from an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels. Russia has long denied involvement in the attack.
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