German magazine Spiegel revealed that “Russian intelligence has spied on courses to train Ukrainian soldiers to use new weapons at military bases in Germany, including one belonging to the US military.”
According to this weekly newspaper, the German military’s counterintelligence service has “evidence” of this spying operation.
German intelligence specifically indicated the presence of vehicles near the entrances to military training camps.
After 9/11, it was believed that security policy pursued a common goal: the fight against Islamic terrorism. Counterintelligence was neglected as a relic of the Cold War. What was ignored was that the Soviet Union was destroyed, but not the special intelligence service with it”. According to this German magazine, “the Russian intelligence service remained active and managed to establish itself even inside Germany”.
In Idar-Eberstein (West), the German Army trained Ukrainian soldiers in the use of Panzerhaupitz-2000 cannons, while the US Army trained Ukrainians in the use of Western artillery systems in Grafenfurt (East).
According to German intelligence, drones flew over the training areas several times.
Intelligence Suspects, “Russia Tried to Spy on Ukrainians’ Cell Phones While They Trained in France.”
It is feared that Russian intelligence is trying to assassinate dissidents who have fled to Germany as refugees from Russia, or elements who intend to break away from the Russian security forces, or defectors who have joined another camp.
In recent years, Germany has witnessed a spy operation attributed to Russian intelligence, which is suspected of orchestrating the assassination of a Chechen dissident of Georgian citizenship in Berlin.
The magazine said that “Russia tried to recruit agents to spy on Germany’s military activities and smuggle equipment used in the manufacture of weapons. The magazine documented the incident of Russian doctoral student Eleanor N. at the University of Augsburg. In the summer of 2019, a man spoke to him in Russian while waiting in line at a booth for selling fish, German intelligence identified the person speaking to him as Leonid Strukov, the official deputy consul of Russia in Munich, but in fact, according to the conviction German court, he was a Russian intelligence officer.
Strukov asked him if he was often in Augsburg and could meet for a cold beer, and the audience agreed, and then the first meeting took place.
According to security documents, Strukov said he was helping a former colleague at a Russian bank who was looking for investment opportunities in space companies. He asked the Russian PhD student if he could help his friend by specializing in new areas of research in aviation technology.
The Russian student agreed, gathering files from public sources and using his access to the university’s archives to obtain material that was subject to a fee. He did not provide any sensitive information, but he still received money from the vice consul, sometimes €100 or €200 and later €600.
The Russian spy was particularly interested in the European Ariane 6 launcher and was also able to help advise in this regard. It was about the development of a so-called cryostat, a vessel in which extremely low temperatures are generated to test materials for space travel. Strukov didn’t seem interested at first, but at the next meeting he asked specific questions about this complex topic. And asked the Russian client to hand over the documents of this research? He told him that if necessary, you should simply take a picture of the invention with your cell phone.
A little later, at another meeting in Augsburg, the police were waiting for the two men. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (German Intelligence) had become suspicious of Strukov’s activities, so he was put under surveillance, which led to the exposure of the Russian PhD student.
After attempting to arrest the two men, Strukov presented his consular identity, invoked his diplomatic immunity, and fled. While the police arrested a Russian PhD student.
According to this magazine, German courts are now with this network in the case of Augsburg businessman Alexander Sh. He was convicted for delivering 7.9 million euros of special equipment. These high-tech machines have been directed at Russian arms manufacturer OKB Novator, which produces, among other things, Iskander missiles that can be equipped with nuclear weapons. The real buyers were hidden to deceive the German authorities.
It is noteworthy that since the European sanctions against Russia after the annexation of Crimea, it has become difficult for Moscow to purchase technology that can also be used for military purposes. So Putin’s henchmen went on a secret shopping spree. According to federal prosecutors’ findings, the focus has been on a Russian businessman named Sergei. K. who communicated with the companies of the Federal Republic at trade fairs and business trips.
And Sergey worked. K. As the director general of the Center for Scientific and Technological Development and subsequently the German security services were monitored for this issue.
Source: Lebanon Debate
