A German military reserve officer has gone on trial on charges of spying for Russia in the western German city of Dusseldorf.
The trial of 65-year-old Ralf Goelert, who allegedly passed sensitive information to the Russian military intelligence from 2014 until 2020, opened on August 11.
Investigators say Goelert provided Russian agents with information about the Bundeswehr’s reserve system, civilian-military cooperation in crisis situations, and data about the effects of sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014 following the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.
Goelert also purportedly provided Moscow with information about the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline, a project that was halted following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect did not receive any financial compensation for the documents he provided but was regularly invited to events organized in Germany by the Russian Embassy.
A court spokeswoman said the suspect made a partial confession during the preliminary proceedings.