Suspected Russian spy in pre-trial detention in Germany

A suspected spy for Russia was being held in pre-trial detention in Germany on Friday following his arrest in the eastern state of Brandenburg.

A judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe issued the detention order for the suspect, a Ukrainian national, according to federal prosecutors.

Vadym Y, as he is identified under German privacy laws, is accused of carrying out intelligence activities on behalf of Russia.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz hailed the arrest on Thursday as a success but warned that further espionage cases were likely.

"We will likely see such cases more frequently in the coming months and years," Merz said on the sidelines of the Western Balkans Summit in Montenegro.

Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) arrested the Ukrainian in Eisenhüttenstadt, near the Polish border.

He is suspected of gathering militarily sensitive information for a Russian intelligence service, using contacts within the European defence industry.

According to prosecutors, the information concerned the production of tanks, ammunition and explosives, as well as military installations intended to strengthen NATO's eastern flank.

Several suspected spies allegedly working for Russian intelligence services have been arrested in Germany this year alone.