On January 22, 2026, Germany expelled a Russian diplomat and summoned the Russian ambassador over espionage allegations involving recruitment activities. The German foreign ministry confirmed that the expelled person was an intelligence agent acting under diplomatic cover based in Moscow's embassy in Berlin. The operation relates to spying including connections to a church in Sweden suspected as a Russian spying hub. The diplomat was declared persona non grata, and the decision was delivered by the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin. The case underscores ongoing espionage tensions between Russia and Germany including under diplomatic covers and use of religious sites for intelligence activities.

On January 22, 2026, Germany expelled a Russian diplomat and summoned the Russian ambassador over espionage allegations involving recruitment activities. The German foreign ministry confirmed that the expelled person was an intelligence agent acting under diplomatic cover based in Moscow's embassy in Berlin. The operation relates to spying including connections to a church in Sweden suspected as a Russian spying hub. The diplomat was declared persona non grata, and the decision was delivered by the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin. The case underscores ongoing espionage tensions between Russia and Germany including under diplomatic covers and use of religious sites for intelligence activities.