A member of Germany’s went on trial in the western city of Düsseldorf on Monday, on behalf of and leaking state secrets.
The man, with a rank of captain, worked at the Bundeswehr’s equipment, technology and in-service support facility in Koblenz.
This is responsible for equipping Germany’s armed forces, as well as for developing, testing and procuring new equipment and technology.
He was arrested on August 9 last year and .
The trial is taking place in the high-security facility of the upper regional court (Oberlandsgericht) for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Allegedly sought out contact with Russia himself
The defendant is accused of making repeated and unsolicited offers to cooperate, starting in May 2023, at both Russia’s consulate in Bonn and its embassy in Berlin.
He allegedly already provided some sensitive information during these meetings.
Prosecutors say there’s no evidence of him receiving payment.
The case drew considerable attention as it first came to light last year, with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser pledging tighter security and more vigilance after the arrest.
Bundeswehr and military tech in sharp focus since invasion of Ukraine
in February 2022 had major and mixed impacts on Germany and its armed forces.
It prompted probably , after similar plans from previous governments yielded few results.
But it also threw a fresh spotlight on .
And rapidly the question of began to dominate headlines at home, and sometimes abroad.
It’s not the only case of alleged espionage on behalf of Russia to come to light since the war broke out, with a former intelligence agency employee facing similar charges in Berlin.
Earlier this year, Russia also released audio excerpts from an online video conference call between senior German military officers discussing the war in Ukraine and what impact new weapons deliveries might have.
msh/wd (AFP, dpa)
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