GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Three men have been charged with spying on U.S. military bases for Russia and plotting attacks on American personnel in retaliation for Western support of Ukraine, German prosecutors said.
The men, identified only as dual German-Russian nationals Dieter S., Alexander J. and Alex D., were charged Dec. 9 in the Munich Higher Regional Court with suspicion of working for a foreign intelligence agency, according to a statement Monday from the German federal prosecutor’s office.
Dieter S., who prosecutors say was the plot’s ringleader, was also charged with acting as a sabotage agent, conspiracy to cause an explosion and arson, declaring his willingness to interfere with rail traffic and endangering security by taking pictures of military installations.
The case first made headlines in April after Dieter S. and Alexander J. were arrested in Bayreuth, about 20 miles northwest of Tower Barracks in Grafenwoehr, the prosecutor’s office said at the time. Police raided the men’s homes and workplaces.
The pair surveilled U.S. military facilities, including the Army training area in Grafenwoehr, with the intention of disrupting NATO logistical support to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported in April. Ukrainian forces receive combined-arms and weapons training there.
German law enforcement officials typically withhold the full identity of suspects due to the country’s strict privacy laws.
Dieter S. became acquainted with a Russian intelligence agent while battling Ukrainian forces starting in 2014 as a member of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, the prosecutor’s office statement said.
Donetsk is a province in eastern Ukraine that has been the scene of heavy fighting since the 2014 Russian invasion, which served as a precursor to the ongoing full-scale war that the Kremlin launched in February 2022.
Dieter S. was charged Oct. 18 with suspicion of membership in a foreign terrorist organization, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the statement said.
The group is reported to have used violence against civilians and was often involved in “intensive confrontations,” according to German authorities.
In October 2023, Dieter S. began exchanging information with the agent about possible sabotage in Germany and scouted potential targets, prosecutors allege.
He passed on images of military transports and goods to his Russian handler, said he was willing to carry out bomb and arson attacks against military and industrial sites, and promised to attack railway lines used to move military equipment, authorities said.
Alexander J. and Alex D. began helping in March, the statement said. Prosecutors did not specify what that help entailed. Of the three, Alex D. is the only one who remains at large.
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
Taani pealinna Kopenhaagenist lõunas asuvat sadamat külastas korraga vähemalt 4 (kinnitamata andmetel ca 20) suurt drooni.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish police said Saturday they are investigating a report of some 20 drones over the port of Koege, southwest of Copenhagen.
Regional police said in a statement quoted by the Danish Radio that when its officers arrived at the location Friday night they were able to see four large drones over the Koege Marina.
Police had been called to the site by a witness who claimed to have seen some 20 drones that later disappeared into the Koege Bay at high speed.
The police said they were trying to determine the total number of drones and their ownership, as no permission had been issued for drone flights in that area at the time they appeared.
The police are also investigating other sightings of drones amid security concerns linked to Russian hybrid attacks detected in some European countries and Moscow’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Osa võiks olla Kastrupi lennuväljale maandunud-õhku tõusnud lennukid. Pealtnägija info.
Alexander got quite a surprise on Friday evening when he looked out the window.
Several drone-like objects flew around in the night sky above Køge, which immediately made him find the mobile phone and film the flying objects.
- It started around 22.05 and lasted for almost two hours. In any case, I saw up to five drones in the sky at the same time, before they disappeared towards the harbor and over the sea, he tells Ekstra Bladet.
Never seen anything like it
Alexander himself lives about a kilometer from the harbor in Køge, and shortly after observing the drone-like objects he contacted the police.
- I have never seen anything like it. They didn't make a noise like an airplane. It looked very spectacular, says Alexander.
The police then arrived at his address and together they filmed the drones in the night sky, which have caused great mystery.
Taking it seriously
On Saturday morning, the Central and West Zealand Police wrote in a press release that they have been in contact with several other authorities and that they are taking the matter seriously.
To Ekstra Bladet, chief of duty in the police district Sonny Bonde says that they have spoken to Køge Havn and Køge Marina about the drones, just as they have been in contact with airports to find out if they have experienced drone activity.
In addition, the police have no further comments on the drone case, but Ekstra Bladet has been in contact with the Defense Operations Center, which states that they are aware of the case.
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
UK (USA)sõjaväelennuväljadel jälle tundmatud droonid täna õhtul väljas
Jets reportedly scrambled near RAF Mildenhall & Lakenheath after locals claim to see 3-6 ‘drones.’ Footage taken moments ago in the comments
Jets not visible on FlightRadar; one USAF aircraft circling stopped transponding. Large USAF plane earlier seen returning from the Black Sea landing at the same time as drone activity.
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
The Insideri lugu orkidest, kes maksid Talibanile rünnakute eest USA ja liitlaste üksustele.
Russian attempts to recruit assets within the Taliban — and to generally destabilize the U.S. nation-building project — began almost immediately after the establishment of the Afghan Interim Administration in December 2001. Initially, the Russians sought accomplices among the preexisting networks in the local security and military apparatus established during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. These lost much of their utility after American-led reforms and lustration at the Afghan Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). That’s when Russia turned to Iran for help, according to the former NDS officials. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) acted as go-between for Moscow and the Taliban commanders, funneling Russian weapons and money to them. Subsequently, the GRU established direct contacts with the Pashtun insurgency.
The GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, spent years financing terrorist groups in Afghanistan to target U.S. and coalition forces. An investigation by The Insider has not only confirmed the existence of the program but also identified GRU officers responsible for its coordination. The Russian intelligence agency used a gemstone trading company as a front to run a network of Afghan couriers who delivered money to Taliban fighters and other militant groups. Once their missions were completed, the couriers were provided with Russian documents and granted asylum in Russia.
That December 2019 attack, along with several others, was carried out by militants of the once and future Islamist government of Afghanistan, but it was financed by a foreign spy agency. After an eighteen-month investigation, The Insider and its partners have uncovered new evidence suggesting that Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU, paid tens of millions of dollars to the Taliban in Afghanistan to target American, coalition, and Afghan military forces. GRU Unit 29155, the near-ubiquitous black ops team behind a series of bombings and poisonings in NATO countries, was behind this operation as well. The existence of the plot was first disclosed by U.S. intelligence and reported on by The New York Times a year before the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. At the time, it was couched as a “bounties” program.
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
orkid jälitasid Taani väinade lähedal Neste naftatankerit allveelaeva ja korvetiga.
This morning a Russian corvette and a submarine stalked Finnish tanker JATULI.
J. was moving south in international waters, Kattegatt, when she met SKR-531. The corvette turned around, started following and soon thereafter a KILO submarine started driving alongside.
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
Bayerimaal olevat Saksa sõjaväelennuvälja külastas õhtu jooksul ca 10 drooni.
Authorities in Germany's southern state of Bavaria confirmed on Monday that up to 10 mysterious drones had recently been spotted above an air base.
Investigators have not ruled out espionage as a motive behind the drone flights, floating the possibility that they are connected to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Bavaria's State Criminal Police Office (LKA) said that officers had been able to detect at least ten drones flying above Manching Air Base near the city of Ingolstadt on Sunday evening.
String of similar incidents
Similar events were reported in December at Manching and nearby Neuburg an der Donau. The LKA believes the drone operators are trying to take pictures of military installations.
Later on Monday, it was announced that the Munich Public Prosecutor General's Office would be taking over the investigation.
Manching is used to test the airworthiness of new aircraft ordered for the German military.
Also in December, drones of unknown origin were spotted over Ramstein, the US air base in Germany.
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
orkide laev tiirutas 3,5 nädalat Taiwani vetes. Pidi liikuma Vietnami, kuhu ei jõudnud-oli Taiwani rannikul. Nüüd hakkas tagasi liikuma orkistani suunas.
#Belize-flagged, #HongKong-registered cargo ship from Russia--which presumably exists to move goods from one port to another--sailed 3,000 km to loiter off SW Taiwan for 3.5 weeks--without seeking to enter any Taiwan port & for no apparent reason--and is now returning to Russia.
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
Sündmuste ahel sai alguse 2024. aasta suvel, kui Euroopas hakkasid toimuma kahtlased intsidendid. Saksamaal, Suurbritannias ja Poolas süttisid lennujaamades ja ladudes pealtnäha süütud kaubasaadetised. Üks selline juhtum leidis aset DHL-i logistikakeskuses Leipzigis, kus süttinud pakk oleks kohalike võimude väitel peaaegu põhjustanud lennuõnnetuse.
The New York Times kirjutab, et USA ja Euroopa riigid jõudsid kiiresti järeldusele, et sabotaaži taga on Venemaa. Augustis jõudsid Valgesse Majja aga salajased luureandmed, mis muutsid sealsed ametnikud veelgi ärevamaks, sest viitasid Moskva palju suuremale plaanile: viia Ukraina sõda Ameerika rannikule.
USA luureagentuurid avastasid, et need intsidendid olid tegelikult GRU hoolikalt planeeritud katseprojekt. Pakid, mis olid saadetud Leedust, sisaldasid magneesiumipõhist kergestisüttivat materjali. GRU eesmärk oli testida, kuidas saadetised liiguvad läbi rahvusvahelise logistikasüsteemi, et hiljem korraldada sarnaseid rünnakuid USA ja Kanada suunal.
Kui põhiliseks murekohaks olid kaubalennukid, siis mõnikord võtavad väiksemaid pakke peale ka reisilennukid, märgib ajaleht. „Katastroofilise vea oht oli ilmselge,“ ütles USA sisejulgeolekuminister Alejandro Mayorkas hiljutises intervjuus. „Need [pakid] võivad täislastis lennukis süttida.“
Valge Maja ametnikud seisid silmitsi keerulise olukorraga: polnud selge, kas president Putin oli operatsioonist teadlik või oli see GRU ohvitseride omaalgatuslik tegevus, märgib ajaleht. USA presidendi rahvusliku julgeolekunõunik Jake Sullivan ja CIA direktor William Burns said ülesande edastada hoiatused mitmete kanalite kaudu, et sõnum kindlasti Putinini jõuaks.
Hoiatuse sisu oli tõsine: kui sabotaaž peaks põhjustama massohvreid õhus või maapinnal, käsitleks USA seda terrorismi võimaldamisena ja vastaks sellele enneolematult karmi reaktsiooniga. Kuigi USA ametnikud ei täpsustanud, milline oleks vastus, andsid nad mõista, et see viiks Washingtoni ja Moskva vahelise varjatud sõja uuele tasemele.
Tusk räägib orkide plaanitud lennukitele pommide panemise kampaaniast, mis on tunduvalt suurem, kui avalikusele teatavaks jõudnud.
Russia was planning terrorist acts against airlines all over the world - Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk.
"Some acts of sabotage or preparations for diversion were very dramatic. I will not go into details about this latest information, but I can confirm the validity of these fears, that Russia was planning acts of air terror, and not only against Poland, but against airlines all over the world," @donaldtusk
told reporters.
During a meeting with President Zelenskyy, Donald Tusk told journalists that Poland "plays a key role in Europe in counteracting acts of sabotage and diversion," which Russia organizes against the entire civilized world.
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
Läti kohus määras 8-ks aastaks vangi endise orki NSVL-i aegse ohvitseri, kes spioneeris orkide heaks.
”The Riga District Court this week sentenced a 72-year-old Russian citizen, a former Soviet officer, to eight years in prison for spying for Russia, LETA learned from the prosecutor's office.
The defendant will be able to appeal the verdict to the Riga Regional Court.”
Ainus, mida me ajaloost õpime, on see, et keegi ei õpi ajaloost midagi.
Live for nothing or die for something.
Kui esimene kuul kõrvust mõõda lendab, tuleb vastu lasta.
EA, EU, EH
citizens have been arrested for flying drones in Oslo, Norway, in three separate cases over the past 2 weeks
#HongKong-registered cargo ship from Russia--which presumably exists to move goods from one port to another--sailed 3,000 km to loiter off SW Taiwan for 3.5 weeks--without seeking to enter any Taiwan port & for no apparent reason--and is now returning to Russia.