The incident is emblematic of the threats that the West, Germany and other EU countries see coming from Russia. Above all, it highlights how close potential Russian agents can get to politicians in Germany.

In a press photo released by the Ukrainian government, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is sitting next to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during an economic event in Berlin in December. Just two rows behind Zelenskyy and Merz sits the woman who has now been exposed as a possible spy for Russia.

At the time, the German government had gathered numerous European heads of state in the German capital to discuss a possible end to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

On Wednesday of this week (January 21, 2026), German-Ukrainian Ilona W.* was arrested in Berlin. She is alleged to have been in contact with an employee of the Russian embassy since at least November 2023: "On various occasions, the accused provided him with information relating to the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, among other things," the Federal Prosecutor's Office said.

Purporting to promote international understanding

The authorities also explained what this could mean in concrete terms: Ilona W. is alleged to have collected information about participants in "high-profile political events." And she is said to have passed on information to her contact about the locations of the German arms industry, drone tests and planned deliveries of drones to Ukraine. The woman was acting as a kind of lobbyist in political circles in Berlin, was known to be very energetic and had access to many high-level events — as the picture from December shows.

According to information from, among others, the Berlin studio of broadcaster ARD, Ilona W. was chairwoman of a "federal organization" based in Berlin. According to its own statements, the organization is an umbrella association for "binational associations" promoting international understanding. A former lawmaker of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) is also said to sit on the board of trustees.

Investigations are also being conducted against two former members of the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, who knew the alleged spy personally. They are suspected of having given her official information. However, it is still unclear whether they knew that the information was apparently going to the Russian secret service. According to the Federal Ministry of Defense, one of them is a former senior officer who recently retired, and the other is a senior civil servant who left the Bundeswehr more than 15 years ago.

Germany expels Russian embassy employee

The German Foreign Office summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Nechayev. Nechayev was informed that one of the embassy's diplomatically accredited employees had been spying and had to leave the country. The man, who according to the news agency dpa is believed to be the deputy military attaché, may therefore have been Ilona W.'s contact.

The Foreign Office stated: "The ambassador was informed in no uncertain terms on behalf of the Foreign Minister that espionage activities in Germany will not be tolerated by the Federal Republic of Germany and will have consequences." And Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul himself added during a trip to Africa: "We are watching very closely what Russia is doing, and we are taking action against it."

Russian Embassy: 'A ridiculous provocation'

The Russian embassy's response was not long in coming. The statement described the accusations as a "ridiculous, hastily cobbled together provocation." The embassy told AFP news that the accusations were apparently intended to discredit the Russian diplomatic mission as part of the "spy hysteria actively cultivated in Germany." It went on to say, "We have made it clear that Berlin's unfriendly actions will not go unanswered."

Russian intelligence activities are being monitored more and more frequently in Germany. Bundeswehr barracks have been under surveillance, and weapons transport routes supporting Ukraine have been spied on. Experts believe that Russia's espionage activities in Germany have long since reached the same level as during the Cold War prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

In May of last year, Germany's domestic intelligence agency conducted an investigation into Russian activities in Germany: "As Russia has become less hesitant to take action against Germany, the increase in incidents in Europe, including those that attract public attention, also demonstrates that Russia regards the use of force as a legitimate means," the agency wrote in its report.

Merz: 'We are not at war and not at peace'

At the end of September last year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave his assessment of the extent of Russian activities in Germany at an event organized by the newspaper Rheinische Post: "I want to say it in one sentence, which may sound a little shocking at first, but I mean exactly what I say: We are not at war, but we are also no longer at peace."

What the chancellor was specifically referring to at the time were drone flights that had been observed over Denmark and the northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein. Here, too, the investigating authorities concluded that these were most likely Russian drones.

*full name is withheld in compliance with German privacy laws

This article was originally written in German.

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