At approximately 0230 EST on April 18th, 2024, Der Spiegel initially reported that two people were arrested on April 17th in Bayreuth, Germany on suspicion of planning sabotage operations against military infrastructure in Germany, including U.S. installations. These men have been charged with plotting to use explosive and incendiary devices to target multiple installations. The two men are reportedly Russian-German dual nationals who have been spying on U.S. installations for some time. They were immediately suspected of planning to sabotage a U.S. army facility in Grafenwöhr, Bavaria.
Arrest Warrant
By 0700 EST, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the arrests. The men have been identified as Dieter S. and Alexander J. Dieter is suspected of having been a separatist militant in Eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2016 for the Donetsk People’s Republic. The details from the arrest warrant read below:
“Dieter S. is in contact with a person who is connected to a Russian secret service. In any case, the accused had been exchanging information with this person since October 2023 about possible sabotage actions in the Federal Republic of Germany. The actions were intended in particular to undermine the military support provided by Germany to Ukraine against the Russian war of aggression. Against this background, the accused declared to his interlocutor that he was prepared to commit explosive and arson attacks, especially on military infrastructure and industrial sites in Germany. To prepare, Dieter S. collected information about potential targets, including facilities of the U.S. armed forces. Alexander J. helped him from March 2024 at the latest. Dieter S. scouted some of the targeted objects on site, taking photos and videos, for example of military transports and goods. He transmitted the collected information to his interlocutor.”
The men are being charged “membership in a foreign terrorist organization (§ 129a (1) no. 1 of the Criminal Code, § 129b (1) sentences 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code) as well as the preparation of a serious act of violence endangering the state (§ 89a (2) no. 2, (3) of the Criminal Code).”
Ambassador Summons
The arrest warrant alludes to the fact that Russian security services green-lit sabotage operations in Germany, which would be a major escalation from the Russian Federation. While Russian Presidential Spokesperson Peskov commented that he had no information on the arrest of the duo, the German Foreign Ministry still summoned the Russian Ambassador, according to Bild.
