Russian intelligence tried to obtain information about the location of HIMARS missile launchers and IRIS-T SLM air defense systems through German agent of the Federal Intelligence Service of the BND Carsten L., who was arrested in December 2022 on suspicion of espionage on behalf of Russiawrites the German magazine Der Spiegel in today’s issue.

According to the German weekly, we are talking about the Iris-T anti-missile shield system, which Berlin supplied to Ukraine after the Russian invasion, and the Himars missile launchers, which the United States provided to Kiev.

According to Spiegel, the Russian FSB (Federal Security Service) asked Karsten L., among other things, the GPS coordinates of the American HIMARS artillery systems and IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft systems, which Germany handed over to Kiev. The investigation believes that intelligence did not receive this information, since Karsten did not have access to it.

Karsten was arrested in Berlin on December 21, and on January 26 of the same year, his alleged accomplice Arthur E. was arrested at the Munich airport, who could give the FSB secret BND documents about his two meetings in Moscow. According to the investigation, both defendants cooperated with the Russian special services for money.

According to the first results of the Spiegel investigation, the Russian security services (FSB) approached Karsten L. with a request to provide them with GPS data on the location of the Iris-T anti-missile shield systems and Himars missile launchers through a suspected accomplice, who was arrested on January 26.

“Big Ear” BND

German prosecutor Peter Frank is investigating two men on charges of treason, and both are taken into custody.

According to the German media, Carsten L. held a senior position in Germany’s secret technological espionage unit. Focus magazine called it BND’s “big ear”. In 2022, he handed over to “one of the Russian special services” information constituting a state secret.

It is indicated that Karsten L. also had access to information exchanged by friendly intelligence agencies with the German BND, such as the American National Security Agency (NSA) and the British Government Communications Center (GCHQ), dealing with electronic espionage, the intelligence services of France and Israel.

According to Focus, the German prosecutor’s office does not exclude the possibility that Carsten L. shared this information with the Russian customer.

Artur E., who, unlike Karsten L., is not an agent of the German secret services, allegedly handed over to the FSB during two meetings in Moscow secret BND materials secretly seized by his accomplice.

Der Spiegel writes that Moscow paid generously for these services: investigators found envelopes with bills worth hundreds of thousands of euros in Karsten L.’s locker, which Arthur E. had sent from the FSB.

BND officials suggest that the FSB has been planning to work with the agent for a long time.

Arthur E. stated during interrogation that the contacts in Moscow were “organized” by Carsten L. However, the investigators do not rule out that the exact opposite happened, that is, it was Arthur E. who persuaded Carsten to give him information from the German electronic intelligence service and that he himself arranged the necessary contacts in Russia, writes Der Spiegel.

^{Source: APE, AFP, DW (Russian agency)}