In the first day of trial in Düsseldorf, a former German army soldier accused of spying for Russia confessed to passing information to the Russian consulate in Bonn. Thomas, a 54-year-old man who worked in the IT and logistics service of the German army, admitted his wrongdoing but claimed it was done with the intention of avoiding further escalation in Ukraine. This trial is just one of several cases of alleged spies uncovered in Germany since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Despite his admission, Thomas stated that he had no malicious intentions and only wanted to prevent conflict from continuing. The prosecution alleges that Thomas approached both the Russian consulate in Bonn and Moscow embassy in Berlin in May 2023, offering to collaborate with Russian intelligence services. According to evidence presented by prosecution, Thomas photographed various computer files and weapons manuals which were then transferred to a Russian intelligence agency. He was arrested in August 2023 in Koblenz, central Germany city. The court hearings are expected to continue until June and Thomas faces potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison.