A Ukrainian man has been detained in Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia.

The man was arrested on October 22 in the state of Brandenburg on the basis of a warrant issued on October 15. According to investigators, he had been in contact with Russian intelligence through an intermediary since at least July 2025.

Investigators believe the suspect was collecting data on the production of armored vehicles, ammunition, and explosives, as well as on military personnel and facilities critical to the defense of NATO’s eastern flank. He may have found some of the information in open sources, while other information was deliberately obtained from individuals connected to the European defense industry.

Among the objects of his interest, according to Der Spiegel, was the 45th Tank Brigade of the Bundeswehr, which is planned to be fully deployed in Lithuania next year.

On October 23, the detainee is scheduled to appear before an investigating judge at the Federal Supreme Court of Germany. The judge will decide on his continued detention.