Ilona W., a 57-year-old woman from Berlin, has been accused of conducting intelligence activities on behalf of Russia. She is being prosecuted by German federal prosecutors for collaborating with the intelligence agency of a foreign power. Ilona W., who holds German and Ukrainian citizenship, was arrested on January 21 and is currently in pre-trial detention.
Intelligence Activities and Communications with Russian Officers
Prosecutors have announced that Ilona W. managed a marketing agency in Berlin and also headed a lobbying association that provided her with extensive contacts in military and political circles. She has been in regular contact with a full-time Russian intelligence officer at the Russian embassy in Berlin since October 2023. According to the indictment, she continuously provided this officer with information about significant events and, in some cases, assisted him in accessing these events under a pseudonym.
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Goals and Consequences of Spying
According to prosecutors, the aim of this collaboration was to assist the Russian intelligence officer in establishing a network for intelligence purposes. Ilona W. is also accused of participating in events to identify useful individuals and potential targets. She attempted to recruit individuals from the German Ministry of Defense and the arms industry and sought information about Germany's defense policy and defense industry on behalf of her Russian contacts, particularly in relation to Russia's war against Ukraine.
The indictment against Ilona W. was filed last week in the state security section of the Berlin High Court. Following her arrest, Germany expelled the Russian intelligence officer involved in the case, and in response, Moscow expelled a German diplomat.
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