Germany arrests 3 Ukrainians over Russian sabotage plot
German prosecutors said on Wednesday they had arrested three Ukrainians accused of plotting sabotage attacks on goods transports for
Russia , amid soaring tensions between Moscow and Berlin.
Advertisement
The suspects, detained in
Germany and Switzerland, had told individuals 'believed to be acting on behalf of Russian state authorities' that they were ready 'to commit arson and explosive attacks on goods transport in Germany', federal prosecutors said.
The accused allegedly aimed to send packages from Germany containing explosive devices to recipients in
Ukraine , which would go off as they were being transported, they said.
Germany has been on high alert for sabotage plots directed from Moscow since Russia's 2022 full-scale
invasion of Ukraine led to a rapid deterioration in ties.
In a speech to parliament on Wednesday, new Chancellor
Friedrich Merz accused Russia of targeting Germany and other European countries with acts ranging from cyberattacks,
espionage and sabotage to disinformation, poison attacks and murders.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers a government statement during a session of the German parliament in Berlin on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Such acts were 'overwhelmingly the work of the Russian government and its helpers', he said, accusing Moscow of 'attempts at division and destabilisation'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Thanks to Trump, Russians now see Germany, not US, as most hostile country: survey
Germany is now considered the most hostile country towards Russia, a survey conducted by the independent Moscow-based polling institute Levada showed. The survey found that 55 per cent of respondents named Germany as the most unfriendly state – a 40 percentage point increase since May 2020. In contrast, the United States, which held the top position for two decades, was named by only 40 per cent of respondents, compared to 76 per cent last year. This shift is attributed to the revival of Russian-American relations under US President Donald Trump, the institute said. Germany, however, has faced increasing criticism from the Russian leadership, particularly due to its arms deliveries to Ukraine, which has been under attack by Russia. The tone has notably hardened since Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office last month. The United Kingdom ranked second among countries perceived as hostile to Russia, with 49 per cent of respondents, followed by Ukraine at 43 per cent. 02:33 Nato kick-starts its largest-ever air force exercise in Germany, but says Russia is not the target Nato kick-starts its largest-ever air force exercise in Germany, but says Russia is not the target The representative survey also asked Russians to name the five countries they associate as having the closest and friendliest relations with Russia.
South China Morning Post
8 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
How Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web attack on Russia holds important lessons for China
Ukrainian attacks targeting airbases deep inside Russian territory despite lacking long-range missiles or bombers could offer important lessons about modern warfare in the event of any conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Under the operation, code-named Spider's Web , Ukraine smuggled drones into Russian territory undetected and hired unwitting drivers to transport them in modified containers to locations near airbases, some of them thousands of kilometres from Ukraine's border. The drones were then launched remotely to destroy surveillance planes and long-range bombers as they sat on the tarmac. The innovative approach was not just a damaging surprise for Moscow , but also a 'wake-up moment' for militaries around the world, according to US Air Force Chief of Staff David Allvin. He said the attack showed that 'seemingly impenetrable locations' might no longer be so safe in the era of rapidly evolving drone technology and asymmetric warfare, adding that such tactics could 'create dilemmas' for both attackers and defenders. 'The lesson is not just for Russia,' said Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation analyst and former member of the air force. '[Such attacks] could easily be carried out by secret services or in special military operations.' The lesson for China is that it would need 'to guard against enemy forces infiltrating military bases in such a way', Fu said.
South China Morning Post
18 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Ukraine bombarded by deadly Russian strikes as peace talks falter: ‘shocked I'm alive'
Russia struck Ukraine with a thunderous aerial bombardment overnight, further dampening hopes that the warring sides could reach a peace deal any time soon, days after Kyiv embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia. Advertisement The barrage was one of the fiercest of the three-year war, lasting several hours, striking six Ukrainian territories, and killing at least six people and injuring about 80 others, Ukrainian officials said on Friday. Among the dead were three emergency responders in Kyiv, one person in Lutsk, and two people in Chernihiv. The attack came after US President Donald Trump said his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, told him Moscow would respond to Ukraine's attack on Sunday on Russian military airfields. It was also hours after Trump said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. Trump's comments were a remarkable detour from his often-stated appeals to stop the war and signalled he may be giving up on recent peace efforts. Ukrainian cities have come under regular bombardment since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022. The attacks have killed more than 12,000 civilians, according to the United Nations. 'Russia doesn't change its stripes,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Advertisement The war has continued unabated even as a US-led diplomatic push for a settlement has brought two rounds of direct peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine. The negotiations delivered no significant breakthroughs, however, and the sides remain far apart on their terms for an end to the fighting.
