"The suspect, named as Dieter Schmidt, was found guilty of helping to plan attacks on railway lines and military infrastructure in Germany, allegedly on behalf of Russian intelligence. German authorities have repeatedly warned about such agents, supposedly recruited via social media to carry out tasks such as taking photos of sensitive sites, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Prosecutors had accused Schmidt of scouting targets for potential attacks, including US military bases, a loading station and a tool manufacturing company."
""We have come to the conclusion that the charges are essentially accurate," presiding judge Jochen Boesl said on handing down the verdict. Schmidt was also found guilty of membership of a foreign terrorist organisation -- the self-proclaimed "People's Republic of Donetsk", a pro-Russian militia in eastern Ukraine. 'Combat operations' Starting in around late 2014, he "took part in combat operations against Ukrainian troops" with the organisation over the course of around two years, Boesl said."
"Two more German-Russian dual nationals, named as Alexander J. and Alex D., were given suspended sentences of 12 months and six months respectively for supporting Schmidt's activities. Schmidt was born in Siberia in 1984 and came to Germany with his family in 1998, according to Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. After his arrest, his first words were that he wanted a visit from Russian consular officials, the newspaper reported. From October 2023, Schmidt was commissioned "to obtain information about railway lines used to transport military"
Dieter Schmidt, a German-Russian national, received a six-year prison sentence for spying for Moscow and plotting sabotage to undermine Germany's support for Ukraine. He was convicted of helping plan attacks on railway lines and military infrastructure and of scouting targets including US military bases, a loading station and a tool manufacturing company, supplying photos and videos to a Russian intelligence contact. Schmidt was found guilty of membership in the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk and of participating in combat operations against Ukrainian troops around 2014–2016. Two associates received suspended sentences for supporting his activities. Schmidt was born in Siberia in 1984 and moved to Germany in 1998; after arrest he sought a visit from Russian consular officials.
Read at The Local Germany
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