{"text":[[{"start":8.46,"text":"Germany is the target of “intense” Russian espionage, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned, as a 53-year-old man was arrested for allegedly passing on sensitive information about military sites and arms factories to the Kremlin."}],[{"start":22.26,"text":"The suspect, a Ukrainian national named as “Vadym Y”, was charged with having spied for Russia since at least July 2025."}],[{"start":30.86,"text":"He allegedly collected information “about the production of armoured vehicles, ammunition and explosives, as well as personnel and military facilities at sites securing Nato’s eastern flank,” Germany’s federal prosecutor said in a statement."}],[{"start":44.56,"text":"Early details of the case indicate the individual was an allegedly successful and prolific recruit for Russia in its escalating covert war against Europe."}],[{"start":53.72,"text":"“Germany is the target of intensive espionage activity, and the fact that this case has been uncovered is a success today,” Merz said on the sidelines of a summit in Montenegro on Thursday. “But let’s not be under any illusions,” he added, “we will probably see more cases like this in the coming months and years.”"}],[{"start":71,"text":"Earlier this month, the head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, the BND, warned that Germany was Russia’s primary target in Europe for espionage and sabotage."}],[{"start":80.72,"text":"“Russia sees us as its main adversary. No other country currently poses such a direct, comprehensive and concrete threat to Germany,” Martin Jäger told German lawmakers in an annual briefing given by the country’s intelligence agencies to parliament."}],[{"start":94.8,"text":"Germany’s support for Ukraine has made German military bases, logistics hubs and arms factories targets for Russian sabotage and other “hybrid” attacks."}],[{"start":104.12,"text":"Dozens of suspected and confirmed incidents of surveillance have been monitored by German security services over the past two years, with increasing frequency."}],[{"start":112.88,"text":"Such surveillance activities are carried out in order to give Russian intelligence agencies the information they need in order to carry out more aggressive actions in the future — including sabotage and even assassinations."}],[{"start":124.92,"text":"The mounting intensity of Russia’s aggressive, clandestine activity in Europe already has defence companies and their executives on high alert. Intelligence services have warned chief executives that they themselves are now considered legitimate targets by President Vladimir Putin’s agents."}],[{"start":141.16,"text":"Vadym Y is accused of having passed information to what the federal prosecutor described as an “intermediary” for Russian intelligence services."}],[{"start":150.44,"text":"Some of the information was gleaned directly by surveillance of sensitive sites and other information was “specifically solicited . . . from individuals in the European defence industry”, the prosecutor claimed."}],[{"start":162.96,"text":"Russian intelligence services have often targeted vulnerable or ideologically sympathetic Ukrainian refugees and migrants as agents in Europe."}],[{"start":171.96,"text":"Often individuals have been recruited to perform simple tasks for small sums of money. A 33-year-old Ukrainian was arrested by German police in August for having taken photographs of a military site in Bavaria at the behest of his Russian handler, whom he only knew as an anonymous figure online."}],[{"start":190.12,"text":"The case of Vadym Y differs in that he was allegedly repeatedly tasked and given more difficult assignments to carry out — such as gleaning information from specific individuals working in the defence industry."}],[{"start":202.44,"text":"Additional reporting by Aysun Bora in Berlin"}],[{"start":210.56,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1792714134_4353.mp3"}