German officer passed information to secret service because he was "afraid of nuclear war"

German officer accused of spying for Russia says he passed on classified information out of fear of nuclear war.

Here's What We Know

At a court in Düsseldorf, a 54-year-old Bundeswehr captain pleaded guilty to passing military information to the Russians. The officer explained that he was motivated by fear of a nuclear threat, as if the war in Ukraine would undoubtedly lead to an escalation.

German media do not provide the man's exact identity, but it is known that he was responsible for electronic warfare systems.

A representative of the federal prosecutor's office, while reading out the indictment, said that the officer's goal was to "give the Russian armed forces an advantage against the background of the current political situation".

The defendant explained that he hoped, through contacts with the Russian side, to find out in advance "when it will explode" in order to move his family to safety in the event of a nuclear attack. He also added that he regretted his actions and was aware of his mistake, but at the time, he said, he was in a "bad psychological state".

Source: Spiegel