An employee of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) was arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Russian intelligence, with reports that classified information about the Ukraine situation was being transmitted to Moscow. This information came from NDR radio and WDR television broadcasts.
German authorities confirmed that a citizen named Carsten L. had been taken into custody. They noted that investigations were also examining the possibility of coercion within security circles involving a police officer.
The German Prosecutor General’s Office and the BND have not provided comments on the detention at this stage.
Tagesschau reported that the case would be particularly sensitive if the suspicions are proven, highlighting it as a potential setback for the BND, whose asset allegedly managed to enlist another state’s intelligence service amid ongoing geopolitical tension.
Focus magazine, citing sources from the metropolitan office, also reported that the detained officer accessed wiretap results from German and allied intelligence services.
On December 22, the German Prosecutor General’s Office announced the arrest of the BND employee on suspicion of collaborating with Russian special services.
In the prosecutor’s statement, it was alleged that in 2022 the individual transmitted information obtained through professional activity to Russian intelligence. Die Welt also noted that several other BND members were under suspicion, though no additional arrests were reported at that time.
Probation for duty in the General Staff
On November 18, the Düsseldorf Higher District Court found a former Bundeswehr reserve officer guilty of collaborating with Russian intelligence and imposed a suspended sentence.
According to the DPA, the officer cooperated with the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces from October 2014 to March 2020.
Evidence indicated that the reserve officer provided information about German reserve forces, contact details and résumés of senior German military personnel, as well as material related to the Nord Stream 2 project.
Presiding judge noted that the accused was driven by strongly pro-Russian sentiments and a desire to gain favor and influence within the Russian military. The accused’s lawyer asked for acquittal, arguing that none of the conveyed information was confidential, while the defendant admitted handing over documents to the Russian military attaché.
Spymania 2.0
In June 2021, Thomas Haldenwang, head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, stated that Russia had intensified its espionage activities. He said the level of activity matched what was seen during the Cold War era.
Haldenwang added that Russia employs a large number of agents seeking to contact political decision makers. In contrast, Bruno Kahl, head of the BND, argued that Russia and China are using new tools to create divisions among Western allies.
In June 2022, The Washington Post reported that former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl played a role in the case of Egisto Ott, a senior Austrian counterintelligence official. Ott allegedly managed Austrian counterintelligence personnel and served as an intelligence asset in Turkey and Italy, with suspicions of passing state secrets to Russia and informing Moscow about perceived Western adversaries.
The Ott case echoed broader concerns surrounding the dissolution of Austria’s intelligence services and the subsequent formation of new entities. In light of this, European intelligence bodies have grown wary of sharing information with Vienna.