Ukrainian Sentenced to Prison in Germany for Spying for Russia

A German court has sentenced a 22-year-old Ukrainian man to 15 months in prison for espionage activities on behalf of Russia. The man, along with two other Ukrainian nationals aged 25 and 30, was arrested in August 2025. German prosecutors accused the group of planning sabotage against the transport routes of a courier company.

According to the investigation, the men allegedly sent two packages containing GPS trackers to Ukraine via postal service in March 2025. This action was intended to identify transport routes and procedures. German authorities believe the order originated from Russian intelligence services, relayed through an intermediary in Russian-occupied Mariupol, southeastern Ukraine.

In a subsequent phase, the accused were reportedly preparing to send packages containing incendiary devices designed to ignite during transport. However, prosecutors stated that the arrests occurred during the preparation stages of these attacks, preventing a larger incident.

While one Ukrainian man received a prison sentence, the other two were acquitted by the court in Stuttgart. The case draws parallels to a 2024 incident where a package exploded at a DHL logistics center at Leipzig airport, which security sources suspect was commissioned by Russia and narrowly avoided causing an aviation disaster.