Overview
- Dieter S. was sentenced to six years by the Munich Higher Regional Court for secret-agent activity for Russia and membership in a foreign terrorist organization tied to pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine.
- Two co-defendants, Alexander J. and Alexander D., received suspended sentences of 12 and 6 months after the court found they assisted in the late stages of the operation.
- Judges concluded S. scouted railway lines and German military sites from October 2023 to April 2024 and planned arson and an explosives attack, whereas prosecutors had sought eight years and eight months.
- The defendants denied the allegations; separate reporting cited 2014 chats suggesting S. pursued links to pro-Russian units, which his defense disputes.
- In a related case, the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court approved a federal indictment and set a December 9 start for three men accused of surveilling a Ukrainian veteran in Germany, with prosecutors saying the attempt—foiled after the target alerted police—may have been preparatory to further operations possibly including a killing.