A German reserve soldier has been convicted of spying for Russian intelligence companies for a number of years.
The 65-year-old Bundeswehr reserve officer used to be discovered accountable of passing paperwork and data to Moscow between 2014 and 2020.
Prosecutors say he used to be in touch with Russia’s GRU army intelligence and embassy group of workers.
The reservist allegedly handed on details about Germany’s economic system, together with the arguable Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline and the affect of sanctions on Russia after it annexed Crimea in 2014.
“He also provided publications on the security and defense policy of the United States and its Western allies,” the Düsseldorf courtroom stated.
“The contacts took place partly in person or by telephone, but mainly by e-mail,” it added.
“[In exchange] he received invitations to events organised by the Russian embassy in Berlin and to the annual security conference in Moscow.”
Prosecutors say the reserve officer held pro-Russian attitudes and sought after to provide himself as a “security expert” to senior Russian army officers.
The 65-year-old — who used to be arrested in 2020 — pleaded accountable to the costs. He used to be passed a suspended jail sentence of 1 12 months and 9 months.
Relations between Berlin and Moscow have soured lately after a chain of espionage allegations.
In April, a Russian researcher primarily based in Augsburg used to be given a suspended sentence for spying at the European Ariane area programme.
In October 2021, a German courtroom additionally convicted a former IT employee for passing information at the German parliament to Russia.
