FSB detains German national accused of serving as a Ukrainian mercenary

According to the Federal Security Service, a German citizen born in 1976 was taken into custody on accusations of mercenary activity for the Ukrainian armed forces. The individual, who previously served in the German military with combat experience in Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria, reportedly acted as a sniper in a Ukrainian territorial-defence formation near the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk between 2016 and 2018.

Following that stint he relocated to Switzerland, re-entered Ukraine in November 2025 and entered a new three-year contract in December, expecting a payment of 100,000 hryvnias that he says was never delivered. He claims the unpaid sum forced him to abandon his unit. An interrogation video was posted by the state-run news agency one outlet, though the circumstances of the confession could not be independently verified. The FSB has not disclosed the location or date of the arrest but indicated that formal charges are forthcoming.