German officer confesses to spying for Russia over ‘nuclear war fears’
A German intelligence officer on trial for espionage has admitted to cooperating with Russian special services “out of fear for nuclear war escalation in Ukraine,” German newspaper Spiegel reported on April 29.
The Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court started hearings of the case earlier on the same day. The accused is charged with acting as a Russian agent, relaying military intelligence to Moscow.
The 54-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was identified only as a Bundeswehr captain in charge of electronic warfare systems. Prosecutors allege he sought to provide Russian military forces with classified information.
Read also: Russian espionage activities surge, echoing cold war levels — FT
He also acknowledged his anxiety about safely evacuating his family in case of a wide armed conflict between NATO and Russia prompted him to reach out to Russian contacts. He ostensibly did so to request an “early warning” about a potential nuclear strike on Germany.
“I only saw this one path,” the defendant explained his reasoning for deciding to cooperate with Moscow.
He expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging his mistake and attributing it to his poor mental state at the time.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
