Ukrainian man sentenced in Germany for plotting sabotage on behalf of Russia
Photo: German police (Getty Images)
A German court has sentenced a Ukrainian man accused of spying and preparing sabotage on behalf of Russia. He was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, dpa reports.
The ruling was issued by the Higher Regional Court in Stuttgart. Two other Ukrainians involved in the case were acquitted.
According to the case file, the convicted man arranged for two parcels containing GPS trackers to be sent. The court concluded that he likely understood the possible purpose of the devices — tracking locations that could later become targets of sabotage.
The presiding judge also noted that the man may have been aware that he had received the assignment through an intermediary from a Russian state agency.
However, the court found no evidence that specific sabotage attacks had already been planned in detail.
What is known about the case
The three men, aged 22, 25 and 30, were arrested in May last year. The arrests took place in Cologne and Konstanz in Germany, as well as in Switzerland's canton of Thurgau.
They were accused of taking part in a plot to sabotage the transport network of a parcel delivery company.
According to prosecutors, in March 2025 the men sent two parcels containing GPS trackers on orders from Russian intelligence. The parcels were supposed to be sent to Ukraine through a Ukrainian postal service. The devices were intended to help gather information about the company's routes and operations.
According to the prosecution, the assignment was passed on by Russian operatives through intermediaries from Mariupol.
The next stage, prosecutors alleged, was supposed to involve sending parcels containing incendiary devices. The devices were intended to detonate during transportation.
Prosecutors said the aim was to cause as much damage as possible and create a sense of insecurity among the population. However, the preparations were uncovered before any of the planned attacks could be carried out.
The two men who were involved in packing and sending the parcels were acquitted.
Prosecutors had sought prison sentences ranging from two years and nine months to four years and three months for the defendants. The defense, meanwhile, called for all three men to be fully acquitted.
The convicted man has already served his sentence while in pre-trial detention, so he will not have to spend any additional time in prison.
Earlier, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said that Russia is already waging a hybrid war against European countries. According to him, Western intelligence agencies are investigating a number of cases involving sabotage, arson, espionage and other provocations linked to Russian activities.
According to intelligence reports, Russian security services may be preparing new acts of sabotage targeting critical infrastructure, as well as false-flag operations in the Baltic states and Poland.
