Law & Justice
Ukrainian convicted in Germany over Russia sabotage plot
A German court sentenced a Ukrainian man on Tuesday to one year and three months in jail for spying for Russia and helping prepare possible acts of sabotage.
The court in Stuttgart said the 30-year-old, most recently resident in Switzerland, was guilty of spying for the purposes of sabotage. Time already spent in pre-trial detention counts toward the sentence, and he will now be released.
The court acquitted two other Ukrainian men who were tried over the same plot.
The case involved posting test packages containing GPS trackers to Ukraine. The court found the plan was aimed at disrupting transport and infrastructure.
Germany is Ukraine's most important backer in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion and has been on high alert for suspected sabotage and espionage operations linked to Moscow.
Earlier this month, an explosives-laden drone was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig-Halle airport, a key military equipment transport hub. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called that incident a possible hybrid attack scenario involving a foreign power, but did not name Russia.
Update
The convicted man is 30 and was most recently resident in Switzerland, according to the court.
His pre-trial detention counts toward the sentence, so he will now be released.
Germany has been on high alert for suspected sabotage and espionage operations linked to Moscow.
An explosives-laden drone was found earlier this month near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig-Halle airport; Germany's interior minister called it a possible hybrid attack scenario involving a foreign power but did not name Russia.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 10:36:11 UTC.
Update
The Ukrainian man was sentenced to one year and three months in jail.
The court said he was convicted of spying for Russia and helping prepare possible sabotage.
Two other Ukrainian men tried over the same plot were acquitted.
The plot involved posting test packages containing GPS trackers to Ukraine.
The Stuttgart court found the plan was aimed at disrupting transport and infrastructure.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 10:24:29 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The supplied material does not say whether Russia was proven in court to have directed the plot beyond the conviction for spying for Russia.
Dobrindt did not identify the foreign power he said could have been involved in the Leipzig-Halle incident.
Source
AFP news report published on .