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Germany arrests woman accused of supplying war-related information to Russian agent

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities on Wednesday arrested a woman accused of supplying information related to Russia’s war in Ukraine to a Russian intelligence agent and helping to get him access to political events in Berlin, prosecutors said.

The German-Ukrainian dual citizen, identified only as Ilona W. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested in the German capital, federal prosecutors said. Her address was searched, as were those of two other suspects who weren’t arrested. She is accused of acting for a foreign intelligence service.

Prosecutors said in a statement that Ilona W. had been in contact since at least November 2023 with a man at the Russian Embassy in Berlin who works for a Russian intelligence service.

They alleged that, on various occasions, she supplied him with information linked to the war in Ukraine. She allegedly helped with inquiries about defense industry locations, drone tests and planned drone deliveries to Ukraine, and turned to former employees in “the area of operations of the Defense Ministry” who were personal acquaintances.

The woman also occasionally helped her Russian Embassy contact visit political events in Berlin under aliases so that he could make contacts for Russian intelligence, prosecutors said.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Mitko Müller said the investigation also involves two former German military employees, a recently retired officer and a civil servant who left over 15 years ago.

Both are suspected of disclosing information to the woman who was arrested Wednesday, but investigators are looking into whether they knew it was destined for foreign intelligence.

Ukraine’s drone strikes set a gloomy tone for Putin’s economic showcase

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — A massive black cloud rising above the St. Petersburg skyline from a Ukrainian drone strike set a gloomy tone for the opening of President Vladimir Putin's annual showcase of Russia's economic achievements. With Putin set to arrive Thursday in his hometown that is hosting the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Ukrainian attack a day earlier that set an oil terminal ablaze was another embarrassing blow to his efforts to minimize the impact of the 4-year-old conflict and cast it as a distant event with no effect on Russian daily life. The attack, which also targeted a naval base near Russia's second-largest city on the Gulf of Finland, underlined Ukraine’s growing capability to hit deep inside its neighbor and demonstrated that even the heavily protected city where Putin was born is increasingly vulnerable. Scores of flights were delayed or diverted at St. Petersburg’s airport and authorities cut cellphone internet service to try to prevent drone attacks.
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