German court convicts Ukrainian man in alleged Russian sabotage plot
The Stuttgart court sentenced the man to one year and three months in prison, but ruled that his pre-trial detention would count toward the sentence, meaning he will now be released.
A German court convicted a Ukrainian man on August 18 of spying for Russia and preparing a potential sabotage operation. The Stuttgart court acquitted two other Ukrainians facing the same charges. The three individuals were detained in Germany and Switzerland in May 2025 after investigators accused them of sending GPS-tracked packages via postal service to Ukraine in preparation for a Russian intelligence-led arson and bombing scheme.
The men were thwarted before carrying out the plan. The 30-year-old Ukrainian, who resided in Switzerland at the time, was found guilty of spying for the purpose of sabotage. The court also considered the time he spent in pre-trial detention when determining his sentence, resulting in his release. The three men were previously known as Yevhen B., Vladyslav T., and Daniil B., with Yevhen being extradited from Switzerland to Germany in December.
Western officials have expressed concern over the increasing number of suspected Russian-backed hybrid operations in Europe, with Moscow reportedly utilizing Ukrainian nationals for such activities, often offering financial incentives or employing coercion. In August, a Ukrainian cargo plane carrying ammunition was targeted by a drone with explosives at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, with U.S. intelligence suspecting the drone was likely operated by Russia.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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