A German court in Frankfurt has opened the trial of three men accused of assisting Russian intelligence in tracking a former Ukrainian soldier. Prosecutors believe this was part of preparation for an assassination attempt. The defendants include an Armenian (ringleader Vardges I.), a Ukrainian (Robert A.), and a Russian (Arman S.). They allegedly tried to lure the former soldier to a cafe in Frankfurt last year. The target suspected the plot and alerted police, who monitored the meeting. When the suspects left, they were arrested; evidence found included cash, genuine and forged passports, and GPS trackers. The operation is believed to be part of broader Russian intelligence activities in Germany. The former soldier was reportedly on a Russian 'death list' for alleged war crimes. The three suspects remain in custody. Separately, in Hamburg, a trial date is set for January 9, 2026, for a 21-year-old accused of coercing minors online to self-harm, linked to at least one death.

A German court in Frankfurt has opened the trial of three men accused of assisting Russian intelligence in tracking a former Ukrainian soldier. Prosecutors believe this was part of preparation for an assassination attempt. The defendants include an Armenian (ringleader Vardges I.), a Ukrainian (Robert A.), and a Russian (Arman S.). They allegedly tried to lure the former soldier to a cafe in Frankfurt last year. The target suspected the plot and alerted police, who monitored the meeting. When the suspects left, they were arrested; evidence found included cash, genuine and forged passports, and GPS trackers. The operation is believed to be part of broader Russian intelligence activities in Germany. The former soldier was reportedly on a Russian 'death list' for alleged war crimes. The three suspects remain in custody. Separately, in Hamburg, a trial date is set for January 9, 2026, for a 21-year-old accused of coercing minors online to self-harm, linked to at least one death.