German intelligence sees growing activity by Russian secret services

The interest of Russian intelligence services in Germany continues to increase the longer the war in Ukraine lasts, according to Germany's domestic intelligence service.

The head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, also counts China and Iran among the states whose intelligence services are active in Germany.

"Russia's intelligence interest here in Germany is not only unbroken, but is also increasing as the effects of the war continue," Haldenwang said in an interview with dpa.

"The current case also shows how real the danger of Russian espionage is," Haldenwang said, referring to a suspected double agent at the BND foreign intelligence agency who was arrested shortly before Christmas.

The arrested man is suspected of having given secret information to a Russian intelligence service.

Haldenwang said he expected Moscow to try to make up for the expulsion of 40 Russian officials deemed as persona non grata by Germany.

In response to the start of the Russian war on Ukraine on February 24, many European states expelled Russian agents, with Germany expelling 40 members of the Russian embassy in Berlin.

"We are making great efforts to prevent further persons who may be linked to Russian services from coming here to Germany," Haldenwang told dpa.

To this end, he said, the federal government had tightened visa rules.