BERLIN — Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office announced on Monday that charges have been filed against a German-Ukrainian woman accused of working for Russian intelligence.
The defendant, identified only as Ilona W. under German privacy law, is alleged to have been in contact with a Russian Embassy intelligence officer in Berlin continuously since October 2023, according to the prosecutor’s office.
She owned a Berlin‑based marketing agency and chaired a lobbying organization, which gave her extensive connections in military and political circles, prosecutors noted.
Over several years, she supplied the embassy officer with information about high‑profile events and arranged his attendance, occasionally under aliases, to help him expand his intelligence network, the prosecutors’ statement says.
She personally attended events to identify contacts and possible targets and, according to prosecutors, tried to recruit individuals from the German Ministry of Defense and the defense sector for her own purposes.
Acting on behalf of her Russian embassy contact, she gathered intelligence on German defense policy and the defense industry, especially concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
She was taken into custody in January, with formal charges issued on September 6. She continues to be held in pretrial detention.
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