Berlin-based German-Ukrainian businesswoman Ilona Wiener charged with spying for Russia

A German-Ukrainian businesswoman, Ilona W., a 57-year-old citizen of both nations, has been charged with espionage for Russia, according to federal prosecutors in Germany. The 74-page indictment, detailed by Der Spiegel, alleges that Ilona W. worked for a Russian intelligence service. She began passing information to a contact at the Russian Embassy in Berlin in November 2023, who was identified as GRU officer Andrei Mayorov, a deputy military attaché working under diplomatic cover. Mayorov was expelled from Germany earlier this year.

Ilona W. allegedly gathered details about political events, including a NATO Talk at Berlin’s Hotel Adlon in November 2023 and the German-Ukrainian Business Forum in December 2025. Notably, she was seated close to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the latter. Prosecutors also claim that in February 2024, Ilona W. used a false name to introduce her alleged handler, Mayorov, to a gathering of Bundeswehr reservists.

Described as a prominent and highly active figure in Berlin, Ilona W. headed an organization promoting international understanding and regularly attended events with ambassadors, senior diplomats, and influential politicians. Her organization's advisory board included prominent businesspeople and former lawmakers from Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Her defense team contested her detention, criticizing prosecutors for a "broad interpretation" of the criminal provision regarding intelligence activity on behalf of a foreign state. The news of her arrest became public in January.