Romanian woman arrested in Germany on Russian espionage charges targeting drone manufacturer CEO

Arrests and charges

German federal prosecutors arrested two individuals suspected of conducting espionage on behalf of a Russian intelligence service. Alla S., a 45-year-old Romanian citizen, was detained in the town of Rheine in North Rhine-Westphalia under an arrest warrant issued by the Federal Court of Justice in Rheine. Sergey N., a 43-year-old Ukrainian citizen, was arrested in the town of Elda in southeastern Spain. The case became public in March 2026, when the German Federal Prosecutor's Office first announced the arrests. As of August 6, formal charges remain limited to suspected agent activity for a foreign intelligence service; authorities have not filed charges of attempted murder or terrorism.

The target

The surveillance operation targeted Stefan Thumann, founder and director of the Bavarian drone manufacturer Donaustahl, based in Straßkirchen. The company produces reconnaissance drones and FPV MAUS drones and has supplied equipment and components used by Ukraine in its war with Russia. After the arrests, Thumann cancelled his public appearances and was placed under permanent protection by German authorities, who assessed the risk to him as high. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is being kept continuously informed about the investigation.

Surveillance operation

According to prosecutors, Sergey N. began surveilling Thumann in December 2025, photographing and filming his private residence and company headquarters, and gathering information about him from open sources. Investigators also discovered possible attempts to spy on Thumann's father in Starnberg, Bavaria, to determine the son's whereabouts. After Sergey N. fled to Spain with his family, Alla S. took over the mission, travelling to the target's address and filming the location with her mobile phone. German press reports that investigators do not consider her a professional agent but rather a person recruited for specific tasks.

Assassination hypothesis

German security services received information in late 2025 from a foreign partner intelligence agency indicating that Thumann was in serious danger. Bavarian officers briefly detained Sergey N. in December 2025, confiscating his mobile phones and copying large volumes of data, but released him due to time constraints before fully analysing the devices. Subsequent analysis indicated he had likely been in contact with Russian intelligence services. According to Der Spiegel, investigators believe the surveillance operations could have been preparation for physical attacks or even an assassination attempt. Prosecutors stated that the surveillance activities were most likely intended to prepare further intelligence operations against the target.

Romania's response

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) confirmed on the evening of August 6 that German authorities had executed an arrest warrant issued by the Federal Court of Justice in Rheine against a Romanian citizen. The MAE stated that, as of that time, the Consulate General of Romania in Bonn had not received any requests for consular assistance from the citizen in question or her family.

Broader pattern of Russian operations

German authorities have warned that Russia is actively recruiting so-called "disposable agents" through social media, individuals without intelligence training who can commit acts such as arson, property destruction, or drone overflights of sensitive sites in exchange for small sums of money. Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that Russia prepared another attack against a defense industry executive in Bavaria, after explosives were discovered in a truck heading toward the region. Two suspects were arrested in Serbia, and contacts with Russian intelligence services were reportedly found in their phones. In February, another Romanian citizen was arrested in Germany alongside a Greek national in a separate sabotage case targeting German Navy ships, with searches conducted in Hamburg, Romania, and Greece under Eurojust coordination.