Two Belarusians held in Germany over alleged Russia-ordered sabotage plot

Arrests in Bavaria

Two Belarusian men, aged 39 and 50, are in custody in Bavaria on suspicion of planning sabotage. The Munich prosecutor's office is investigating them, and Der Spiegel reports that the pair intended to start a fire near a railway line and a power line in the Nuremberg area. According to prosecutors, relayed to Reuters, the men acted on the order of a foreign government or organization in exchange for money, but the country has not been named. Both men have been in pretrial detention since early October, with one account giving 7 October as the start of their custody. Der Spiegel, citing security circles, says the charges include espionage for sabotage purposes and conspiracy to commit arson. The Munich prosecutor's office declined to comment on the Spiegel report, according to WELT.

The Brașov fire

Romanian authorities are investigating the same two men over a fire set at an industrial park in the city of Brașov during the night of 14 September. A defence company that produces grenade launchers and ammunition operates on the site. Romanian intelligence, cited by N-tv, believes the suspects belong to a espionage and sabotage network steered by Russia. On Monday, 26 October, Romanian intelligence said it had identified that network as responsible for the September fire at an industrial site in central Romania, near a state arms manufacturer. Romania's authorities have described the network as directed by Russia's secret service.

Extradition requests and a third suspect

Romanian prosecutors who specialise in organised crime plan to seek extradition of the two men held in Germany. A court in Romania has issued European arrest warrants against the men arrested in Bavaria. A Ukrainian national, also linked to the Brașov fire, was arrested in Poland on Monday, 26 October, according to Romanian authorities. Prosecutors in Romania have therefore placed all three suspects under investigation for their alleged role in the blaze, although the Ukrainian's extradition has not been addressed in the articles.

Wider context and open questions

The arrests follow warnings from European security services about suspected Russian sabotage aimed at critical infrastructure and defence-related targets. Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations from Germany and other countries that it is involved in sabotage operations. The case on the German side is handled by the Bavarian central office for combating extremism and terrorism (ZET), attached to the Munich prosecutor's office, according to N-tv. The articles do not say which country the Munich suspects were working for, and prosecutors have not identified it.