Three men—Robert A. (Ukrainian citizen), Vardges I. (Armenian), and Arman S. (Russian)—have been charged in Germany with espionage for a Russian intelligence agency, with prosecutors stating the spying operation may have been intended to prepare for a killing. The men were arrested on June 19, 2024, in Frankfurt. Vardges I. allegedly received orders in May 2024 to spy on a former Ukrainian armed forces fighter residing in Germany, and recruited the other two men to lure the target to a meeting for identification and intelligence gathering. The meeting did not occur due to the target's contacts with German police. The three remain in custody. This case is part of a broader pattern of Russian intelligence and sabotage activities in Europe, including arrests for planned attacks on US military sites and attempted shipments of explosives to Ukraine. Russia has a history of targeting individuals in Germany connected to the Ukraine war.

Three men—Robert A. (Ukrainian citizen), Vardges I. (Armenian), and Arman S. (Russian)—have been charged in Germany with espionage for a Russian intelligence agency, with prosecutors stating the spying operation may have been intended to prepare for a killing. The men were arrested on June 19, 2024, in Frankfurt. Vardges I. allegedly received orders in May 2024 to spy on a former Ukrainian armed forces fighter residing in Germany, and recruited the other two men to lure the target to a meeting for identification and intelligence gathering. The meeting did not occur due to the target's contacts with German police. The three remain in custody. This case is part of a broader pattern of Russian intelligence and sabotage activities in Europe, including arrests for planned attacks on US military sites and attempted shipments of explosives to Ukraine. Russia has a history of targeting individuals in Germany connected to the Ukraine war.