German federal prosecutors have charged three men with working for a Russian intelligence agency, in what authorities are calling a particularly serious espionage case that may have included plans to assassinate a Ukrainian military veteran living in Germany.
The suspects—identified only as Robert A., a Ukrainian citizen; Vardges I., an Armenian national; and Arman S., a Russian citizen—were arrested on 19 June 2023 in Frankfurt. Their full names were withheld in accordance with German privacy laws.
According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the case is part of a wider pattern of covert Russian activity across Europe. Prosecutors allege that the men were tasked with spying on a Ukrainian ex-soldier who had fought against Russian forces after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The alleged operation was coordinated by Vardges I., who is accused of receiving direct instructions from a Russian intelligence agency in May 2024. He then recruited the other two suspects to assist in identifying the target and collecting information about him. The men reportedly tried to lure the intended victim to a café in downtown Frankfurt under false pretenses.
However, the meeting never took place, as the target had already been in contact with German police. All three suspects remain in custody, and the charges were formally filed on 16 May 2025.
“The spying operation presumably served to prepare further intelligence operations in Germany, possibly even leading to killing,” prosecutors said in a statement.
This latest case adds to a growing list of espionage incidents in Europe allegedly linked to Russia. In May, German prosecutors reported the arrest of three Ukrainians suspected of attempting to send explosive parcels to Ukraine on behalf of Russian operatives. In April, two German-Russian men were arrested in Germany, one of whom was accused of planning attacks on U.S. military installations in an attempt to disrupt Western support for Ukraine.
Russia has also been linked to targeted killings in Germany. In 2019, Russian national Vadim Krasikov was convicted for the assassination of a former Chechen fighter in Berlin. German courts concluded that Krasikov acted on orders from Russian authorities. Though sentenced to life imprisonment, he was released in a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia in 2024.
With tensions still high over the war in Ukraine, European officials warn that espionage, sabotage, and assassination plots linked to Russian intelligence remain a growing threat across the continent.
