2 Belarusians arrested in Germany over alleged sabotage for Russia
- Suspects accused of carrying out arson attack on Romanian industrial site, planning further attacks on railway and power infrastructure in Germany
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- Suspects accused of carrying out arson attack on Romanian industrial site, planning further attacks on railway and power infrastructure in Germany
By Ayhan Simsek
BERLIN (AA) - Two Belarusian men are under arrest in Germany on suspicion of carrying out sabotage operations for Russia, including an arson attack in Romania, Der Spiegel magazine reported Wednesday.
Prosecutors believe the suspects carried out an arson attack targeting a defense company at an industrial park in Brasov, Romania, on Sept. 14, according to the German magazine.
Security sources cited by Der Spiegel said the men also planned sabotage attacks in Germany, including fires near a railway line and a power transmission route in the Nuremberg region.
Romania's intelligence service, known as SRI, determined that the suspects belonged to a Moscow-controlled espionage and sabotage network, the magazine reported.
A court in Bucharest issued European arrest warrants for the two men, who have been detained in Germany for several weeks.
Bavaria's Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism is continuing its investigation into the alleged sabotage activities.
The case follows a series of suspected sabotage operations across Europe that authorities have linked to Russia.
One of the most serious alleged attacks in Germany occurred on Aug. 4 at Leipzig airport, when a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane was targeted by a drone.
The German government publicly blamed Moscow for the drone strike.
Russia has repeatedly denied involvement in sabotage operations and hybrid attacks, accusing Western governments of using such allegations to justify increased military spending and continued support for Ukraine.
Ayhan Şimşek