Ukrainian arrested in Romania suspected of hiding weapons near Berlin for Russian intelligence
Vadim S., 24, detained in Romania in October, allegedly formed part of a sabotage network controlled by Moscow, according to Der Spiegel.
Pro-Russian sabotage network with connections in Romania, Germany and Poland
The Ukrainian citizen detained in Romania in mid-October last year allegedly worked for Russian intelligence services and helped establish a weapons cache on the outskirts of Berlin, according to Der Spiegel, citing sources from German security services and other countries.
According to G4Media, which reported on information from the German publication, the suspect, identified as Vadim S., aged 24, initially came to the attention of Polish authorities during an investigation into plans to send parcels containing explosive devices to Ukraine.
Surveillance of Vadim S.'s mobile phone showed that he travelled by bus from Poland, where he lived, to Berlin on 1 October last year. Upon arriving in the German capital, he reportedly made his way to a ring road on the eastern edge of the city, where he collected two small parcels containing pistols.
The weapons were subsequently transported to a forested area on the outskirts of Berlin and hidden in an underground shelter. Several hours later, Vadim S. allegedly returned to Poland by bus.
The coordinates obtained by Polish services allowed German authorities to locate the cache. Two pistols — including a replica of a Makarov pistol — and ammunition were found inside. German police allegedly secretly modified the weapons to render them unusable and monitored the location for several months, with no one coming to retrieve them.
Investigators are considering the possibility that the weapons were not retrieved precisely because Vadim S. had already been arrested.
The young man was detained in Romania along with another Ukrainian citizen on suspicion of having participated in sending parcels with explosive devices to a Nova Post Ukrainian postal company office in Bucharest. Both are in pre-trial detention.
Romanian intelligence services stated that the suspects would form part of an "extremely far-reaching network of saboteurs" operating in several European countries and controlled by Moscow.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the suspect as a "low-ranking" or "disposable" agent, placing the case in the context of what German authorities define as "hybrid threats". Dobrindt stated that this tactic would have been used by Russia following the expulsion of a significant number of Russian agents from European Union member states.
The German prosecution has opened an investigation against Vadim S. for "espionage activities and preparation of a serious offence endangering state security", the minister specified. He did not directly accuse Russia in his public statement.
Information regarding the suspect's alleged link to Russian intelligence services represents, for the moment, accusations reported by security sources. Investigations in Germany and Romania are ongoing.
Source: G4Media