A German-Russian dual national has been sentenced to six years in prison after a Munich court found him guilty of spying for Russia and planning sabotage across Germany. The court also handed suspended sentences to his two accomplices, DW reported. 

Court convicts pro-Russian fighter turned saboteur

The Munich Higher Regional Court ruled that the main defendant, identified only as Dieter S. under German law, had scouted military and infrastructure targets across Germany from October 2023 through April 2024, according to DW. Prosecutors said he acted on orders from Russian intelligence to map sites for potential sabotage — including US military bases, German railway hubs, and an industrial toolmaker. His two accomplices, who helped during the final weeks, received suspended prison terms of one year and six months.

According to the court, Dieter S. previously fought for the so-called “DNR” militant group in eastern Ukraine between 2014 and 2016. Judges found this constituted participation in a terrorist organization. Though he denied combat involvement, claiming he was only in Donetsk for personal reasons, the court rejected this as unconvincing.

The court concluded that Dieter S. led the group in planning sabotage against German infrastructure.

“The court found that the accused Dieter S., but also his accomplices, were aiming to spread fear in the population with the ultimate aim of triggering a political decision to stop supporting Ukraine,” court spokesperson Laurent Lafleur said, according to Reuters.

Surveillance, sabotage, and Moscow's invisible hand

DW reported that the investigation uncovered video and photo surveillance carried out by the group. Prosecutors said the evidence — passed to a Russian intelligence contact — indicated the group acted under Russian direction. Federal prosecutors initially demanded a sentence of eight years and eight months for the ringleader and one-year suspended terms for the other two men. Defense lawyers sought full acquittals.

According to DW, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that Dieter S., born in Siberia in 1984, moved to Germany in 1998. After his arrest, he requested access to the Russian consulate.

Russian intelligence activity in Germany

This case is one of several revealing ongoing Russian intelligence operations across Germany. A Frankfurt court opened proceedings against three other men — citizens of Ukraine, Armenia, and Russia — accused of spying on a former Ukrainian soldier, allegedly as part of a Russian-directed assassination plot.

Earlier this year, three Ukrainian nationals were arrested in connection with another Russian-linked plot to sabotage German freight railway traffic. In August, Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution described the country as a target of “a broad spectrum of Russian activity,” aimed at destabilizing society and eroding democratic trust.