German man helped Russia acquire chemicals for weapons, prosecutors say

BERLIN – Germany’s federal public prosecutor mentioned on Tuesday it has filed prices in opposition to a German nationwide for serving to a Russian intelligence company purchase chemical substances meant for the manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction.

It mentioned the suspect, recognized as Alexander S., managed a commerce firm within the jap state of Saxony that since 2017 exported chemical substances value 1 million euros ($1.13 million) to a entrance firm operated by Russian intelligence brokers.

The suspect, who was arrested in Might final yr, knew all alongside he had exported dual-use chemical substances wanted in each civilian and navy productions and failed to hunt a particular export allow as required by federal legislation, the Public Prosecutor Common (GBA) mentioned in an announcement.

“The Russian firm was a part of a community run by a Russian secret service company conspiring to cover the navy function of the products by disguising as a civilian entity,” the GBA mentioned in an announcement.

The accusations regarding a Russian chemical weapons programme coincide with a disaster in Europe after Russia ready to maneuver troops into jap Ukraine and constructed up its forces elsewhere alongside Ukraine’s borders.

Russia’s overseas ministry didn't instantly reply to a request for remark. Beforehand, Russia has dismissed as baseless accusations that it possesses chemical weapons, saying it destroyed them way back in keeping with the Chemical Weapons Conference.

Germany says Russia used nerve agent Novichok to poison Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The identical poison was used on Russian spy Sergei Skripal, Britain and the US say.

The prosecutors didn't say if the suspect had rejected the accusations. They didn't say when his trial on the Larger Regional Court docket in Dresden will begin.

The suspect can be accused of exporting digital tools value 21,000 euros between Sept. 2019 and Nov. 2020 to an institute in Russia tasked with growing and manufacturing nuclear weapons.

The GBA didn't title the institute, which it mentioned has been below EU sanctions since 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine.