London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Russian spies suspected of infiltrating German government, according to report

Russian spies suspected of infiltrating German government, according to report

The domestic intelligence service is said to be investigating 2 officials who work on energy supply.

Two senior officials at Germany's economy ministry are being investigated over allegations of spying for Russia, newspaper Die Zeit reported on Wednesday.

According to the article, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's domestic intelligence service, is looking into the case of two civil servants "who are involved with energy supply in key positions" and might be Kremlin moles.

If confirmed, the case would represent a spectacular security breach at a highly sensitive time for Germany and for Europe. The economy ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The powerful ministry is under the leadership of Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck, who also serves as Chancellor Olaf Scholz's deputy. It is playing a key role in preparing Germany to cope with an energy crisis as Russian President Vladimir Putin cuts gas deliveries in response to Western sanctions over his invasion of Ukraine.

One of the most sensitive questions that faced German officials was whether to go ahead with Nord Stream 2, a planned gas pipeline from Russia.

For years, Germany's governments have defended the Nord Stream 2 project as "merely commercial." The pipeline project was halted after the invasion of Ukraine but Die Zeit reported that security concerns were raised over the content of internal documents relating to Nord Stream 2.

Earlier this year, Habeck's advisers turned to the BfV for assistance over "inconsistencies in the internal papers on Nord Stream 2 and the filling level of the gas storage facilities, as well as in the report on Germany's security of supply," Die Zeit reported.

The pipeline project was halted after the invasion of Ukraine but Die Zeit reported that security concerns were raised over the content of internal documents relating to Nord Stream 2


Germany has been debating for months efforts to move away from Russian gas and replace it with deliveries from elsewhere, including Qatar, Norway and Canada. Habeck and other Cabinet members frequently stressed how determined they are to move Germany away from dependency on Putin's gas.

But at the economy ministry, "many documents ... were full of understanding for the Russian point of view, and it was striking that the argumentation often did not fit the official line of the German government," Wednesday's newspaper report said.

Upon investigating the suspects, their backgrounds and travel histories, the BfV found "biographical anomalies, in one case a study visit to Russia" and internally there was talk of an "emotional closeness to Russia," it continued. Such closeness alone could not be counted as damning evidence given many among Berlin's political elite have long sustained cordial ties to the Kremlin, the report said.

If the suspicions were to be vindicated, however, the incident would mark a major embarrassment for Germany and its current government as well as a public relations triumph for Putin.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×