Munich: A German court has found three German-Russian dual nationals guilty of spying for Moscow, with the suspected ringleader also convicted of planning acts of sabotage and fighting for a militia in eastern Ukraine. The Munich Higher Regional Court sentenced the main suspect to six years in prison, while his two co-defendants received suspended sentences of six months and one year.

According to Ghana News Agency, the 41-year-old main defendant was found to have served as a paramilitary in an armed terrorist group, fighting against Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine between 2014 and 2016, as per the court's findings. Despite the court's ruling, the man rejected the accusations, claiming he was in a relationship with a woman from eastern Ukraine at the time and was not involved in warfare.

He also denied allegations of spying for Russia in Germany between October 2023 and April 2024, as well as planning acts of sabotage on military infrastructure and railway lines. Investigators indicated the two co-defendants supported his efforts for several weeks towards the end of that period.

The men refuted the espionage charges in court, stating they had only been joking when discussing the matter. However, prosecutors asserted the main defendant had strong ties to Russian intelligence and accused the other two men of making a very deliberate decision to engage in espionage activities.

Prosecutors had recommended an eight-year and eight-month prison sentence for the main defendant and a one-year suspended sentence for the other two men. Defence lawyers, on the other hand, had sought acquittal for their clients.