The Stuttgart trial of three Ukrainians accused of working for a Russian intelligence service is set for a verdict on Tuesday. Prosecutors say the men sent GPS‑equipped parcels to Ukraine in March 2025 to map a parcel company's routes before planning incendiary attacks; the plot was disrupted while still in preparation. The public prosecutor seeks prison terms of 2 years 9 months to 4 years 3 months, while defence counsel seek acquittals. The case echoes a 2024 DHL parcel fire in Leipzig and follows the recent discovery of an explosive‑equipped drone at Leipzig airport.
German Court To Deliver Verdict In Trial Of Three Ukrainians Accused Of Parcel Sabotage For Russia
FILE PHOTO - A view of the entrance to the Higher Regional Court in Stuttgart. (is associated with: «German court to rule on Ukrainians accused of parcel sabotage plot») Bernd Weißbrod/dpa
A German court is due to hand down its verdict on Tuesday in the trial of three Ukrainian nationals accused of plotting attacks on freight transport in Germany on behalf of a Russian intelligence service.
Prosecutors at the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court say the defendants, aged 22, 25 and 30, face charges of espionage and conspiracy to commit arson. The men were arrested in May last year in Cologne and Konstanz in Germany and in the Swiss canton of Thurgau. They are accused of participating in a sabotage scheme aimed at the logistics network of a major parcel delivery company.
According to the prosecution, the defendants — acting on orders from a Russian intelligence service — sent two parcels containing GPS trackers to Ukraine in March 2025 via a Ukrainian postal service to map routes and study transport procedures used by the parcel operator. Prosecutors say the next phase would have involved dispatching packages fitted with incendiary devices intended to ignite during transit. Authorities say the plot was uncovered while the suspects were still preparing those follow‑up attacks.
The public prosecutor has asked the court to impose prison sentences ranging from two years and nine months to four years and three months. Defence lawyers have urged acquittals for all three defendants, arguing that the prosecution has not proven intent beyond reasonable doubt.
Context And Related Incidents
Observers note parallels with a 2024 incident in which an air‑freight parcel caught fire at a DHL logistics centre in Leipzig; security services suspect that package was placed on Russia's behalf. Earlier this month, investigators discovered a drone equipped with explosives and a detonator at Leipzig airport near Ukrainian transport aircraft. Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described that finding as a "hybrid attack by foreign powers." The trial's outcome will be watched closely for its implications on security in European logistics networks.
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