Khaberni - Germany informed Russia today, Thursday, that they have expelled one of its diplomats working in Berlin on charges of espionage, a move described by the Russian Embassy as "ridiculous provocation".
The German Foreign Ministry announced that it had summoned the Russian Ambassador Sergey Nechaev to inform him of the expulsion of a diplomat "spying on behalf of Russia".
In return, the Russian Embassy condemned this step in a statement, describing it as "a ridiculous and hastily arranged provocation aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the Russian diplomatic mission" as well as a "pretext" for "escalating tensions in the Russian-German relations".
The Russian Embassy informed the German Foreign Ministry that Berlin's "unfriendly" actions would not remain "unanswered".
During a visit to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, German Foreign Minister Johann Fadivol stated that the concerned diplomat was "declared persona non grata" in Germany "with immediate effect".
According to the German magazine "Der Spiegel", this member of the Russian intelligence service was officially working as a military attaché at the embassy.
Fadivol added: "Intelligence activities in our country are totally unacceptable, especially under the guise of diplomacy".
German-Russian Forum
Reports indicate that this military attaché was responsible for a file on "Ilona W.", a German-Ukrainian citizen who was arrested on Wednesday in Berlin and placed under provisional detention on Thursday.
"Ilona W." was a prominent figure in an association concerned with fostering international cooperation, especially with Russia and Ukraine, and was known in political and business circles, according to a source who knew her in this context and was interviewed by the Agence France-Presse.
However, this source said that her influence was very limited, though she was associated with circles emanating from the Petersberg Dialogue, a German-Russian discussion forum established in 2001.
The significance of this forum had declined before it disappeared amid the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
The German Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses Ilona W. of providing the Russian Embassy with information regarding military aid to Ukraine and the German defense industries.
The German Defense Ministry revealed on Wednesday that this woman had obtained the information from two former German military officials, one a recently retired staff officer and the other a former senior official who left the army 15 years ago.
Both men are still at large and are under investigation to determine whether they had intentionally provided information to Russia.
The Russian Embassy also denounced the German accusations and described them as "absurd", pointing out that "all the mentioned information is publicly available", citing previously published lists of arms deliveries.
Context of Rearmament
This case adds to a long list of espionage, disinformation, and sabotage attributed by the German authorities to Moscow, as part of what is described as a "hybrid war" against European countries that assist Ukraine.
Relatedly, the German Federal Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday the arrest of a Russian man and a German man on suspicion of involvement, among other things, in organizing the transfer of money and goods to pro-Russian separatist areas in eastern Ukraine, and they were placed under provisional detention on Thursday.
The Russian Embassy also commented on this new case, condemning the "criminalization of all forms of contact, including humanitarian contact, with residents and organizations in Donbas", the region in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia and claimed to have been annexed.
The government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which took power in the spring of 2025, has made the rebuilding of the German army and its infrastructure a top priority, especially to counter the Russian threat.
The Kremlin denies threatening European security, accusing them, in return, of seeking to destroy Russia.
