BERLIN: Two German men, identified as Carsten L. and Arthur E., have gone on trial in Berlin for allegedly passing intelligence secrets related to the war in Ukraine to Russia’s security services. Prosecutors accuse the pair of collaborating with a Russian businessman to acquire sensitive information from Germany’s BND foreign intelligence, with part of the intelligence concerning the conflict in Ukraine.
The trial, conducted under tight security due to its sensitivity, revealed that Carsten L., an employee of the BND, is accused of passing documents from the agency to Arthur E., who allegedly handed them to a contact in Russia. The information, the nature of which was not disclosed by prosecutors, is said to be crucial not only for Germany but also for the Russian side.
German Nationals Allegedly Involved in Passing War Secrets to Russia
Carsten L. is alleged to have printed out or taken screenshots of nine internal BND files between September and October 2022. These documents were then transferred to Arthur E., who carried digital copies to Moscow and turned them over to Russia’s FSB security agency. The charges against the defendants include high treason, and if found guilty, they could face life imprisonment.
The trial also revealed that the FSB reportedly paid Carsten L. at least 450,000 euros ($485,500) and Arthur E. at least 400,000 euros for their services. The information leaked is suspected to involve a messaging app used by the mercenary group Wagner, which played a role in Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
The BND gained access to the platform, but after the information was allegedly passed to Moscow, the chat traffic dried up, depriving Germany of vital intelligence about the invasion. The Wagner group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, faced repercussions from Moscow, with many fighters integrated into the regular army and Prigozhin himself killed in an air crash.
Lawyers for Carsten L. contested the charges, claiming there is no objective evidence for the alleged treason. Germany has experienced several cases of alleged spying for Russia.
