The defendant, who holds the rank of captain, worked for the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Technical Support (BAAINBw) of the Bundeswehr. Based in Koblenz, the institution is responsible for supplying the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) with equipment and weapons, as well as for the development, testing and acquisition of defense technology.
It is said that from 2023 The man of May has repeatedly offered to cooperate with the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian Embassy in Berlin on his own initiative. Prosecutors say the defendant, identified only as Thomas H due to strict German privacy laws, passed on the information with the intent that it would be used by Russian intelligence. More detailed data, what information he could have transmitted, is not revealed. There is also no evidence that he received money in return.
Around this time, he contacted the AfD and applied to join the party. According to the court, his application for AfD membership was approved in 2023. in July
The man said he was prompted to contact the Russian consulate by a message “probably on TikTok.” The officer admitted to following a pro-Russian AfD-affiliated influencer on TikTok at the time. He couldn’t remember exactly what the message was though.
He said he was worried about whether he would be able to get his family to a safe place in the event of a nuclear attack, so he sought contact with Russian representatives to find out in time “when it will happen.” “I only saw this road,” the defendant told the court.
He also said he regrets what he did and in hindsight sees it as a mistake, adding that he was in a bad mental state at the time.
As a Bundeswehr captain, the defendant was responsible for electronic warfare systems, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office said while reading the indictment. Its purpose was “to give the Russian armed forces an advantage against the background of the current political situation.”
Germany is one of the biggest military supporters of Ukraine, which is resisting the Russian invasion. The country’s security authorities say they have stepped up efforts to combat espionage by Russian services. Federal police officers arrested the captain in Koblenz last August. Prosecutors filed charges in March.
Tags: German officer motivated spy Russia fear nuclear strike
