German court sentences Ukrainian man for spying for Russia in sabotage plot

Published Aug 18, 12:12 PM UTC

A German court in Stuttgart sentenced a 30-year-old Ukrainian man to one year and three months in prison for spying for Russia and helping prepare possible acts of sabotage. The plot involved sending test packages containing GPS trackers to Ukraine, aimed at disrupting transport and infrastructure. Two other Ukrainian men were acquitted. The convicted man, most recently resident in Switzerland, was found guilty of 'spying for the purposes of sabotage' but was released due to time already served in pre-trial detention. The case highlights Germany's heightened alert for suspected Russian sabotage and espionage operations amid its support for Ukraine. Separately, an explosives-laden drone was recently discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig-Halle airport, which Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called a 'hybrid attack scenario' potentially involving a foreign power.