In Germany, a Ukrainian was convicted for planning sabotage for Russia's benefit: sentence

A Ukrainian man was convicted by a German court of espionage and preparing sabotage for the benefit of Russia. The man was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison.

The ruling was issued by the Higher Regional Court in Stuttgart. Two other Ukrainians involved in the case were acquitted. According to the case materials, the convicted man organized sending two parcels containing GPS trackers. The court concluded that he probably understood the possible purpose of these devices — to monitor objects that could become targets of future sabotage. The presiding judge also noted that the man may have realized: he received the assignment through a intermediary from a Russian state body. At the same time, the court did not find evidence that specific sabotage attacks had already been planned in detail. What is known about the case: three men aged 22, 25 and 30 were detained last May. The detentions took place in Cologne and Constance in Germany, and also in the Swiss canton of Thurgau. They were charged with participating in a conspiracy to sabotage the transportation network of a package-delivery company. According to the prosecution, in March 2025 of the year the men, on behalf of Russian intelligence, sent two parcels with GPS trackers. They were supposed to be sent to Ukraine via the Ukrainian postal service. The devices were intended to help gather information about routes and the company’s operations. According to the indictment, the Russian side allegedly transmitted the assignment through intermediaries from Mariupol. The next stage, as the prosecutor claimed, was to send parcels with incendiary devices. They were supposed to detonate during transport. Prosecutors said this would cause as much damage as possible and sow a sense of insecurity among the population. At the same time, the preparation was exposed before the purported attacks were carried out. Two men who packaged and shipped the parcels were acquitted by the court. The prosecution had sought sentences for the defendants ranging from two years and nine months to four years and three months in prison. The defense, in turn, insisted on full acquittal of all three men. The convicted man had already served the sentence assigned to him during a prior incarceration, so he will not remain in prison additionally.

Earlier, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs stated that Russia is already waging a hybrid war against European countries. According to him, Western intelligence services are investigating a number of cases of sabotage, arson, espionage, and other provocations connected with Russian activity. According to intelligence, Russian security services may be preparing new sabotage operations against critical infrastructure, as well as operations under a "foreign flag" in the Baltic states and Poland.