Germany arrests 2 suspects for supporting separatist groups in Ukraine

German authorities arrested two men on Tuesday accused of supporting foreign terrorist organizations in eastern Ukraine.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office said Russian national Suren A. and German citizen Falko H. were arrested in the eastern state of Brandenburg following an investigation by authorities.

"Suren A. and Falko H. have held prominent positions in an association since 2016 that organized the transport of supplies and medical products, as well as drones, to the Donbass region for the benefit of militia members of the 'People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk,'" federal prosecutors said in a statement.

The pro-Russian groups claimed control over Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk administrative regions starting in spring 2014, seeking to break away from Ukraine. They engaged in intensive clashes with Ukrainian armed forces and repeatedly used violence against the civilian population, according to prosecutors. The groups were incorporated into Russian military command structures in late 2022 after Moscow annexed the regions following a "sham" referendum.

Prosecutors said Suren A. transferred more than €14,000 ($16,400) in association funds to the separatist regions and financed goods transports for local militias. Falko H. allegedly made multiple trips to the Donbass to meet with group representatives, accept delivery orders, and regularly help distribute goods on site.