Two Belarusian citizens detained in Bavaria on suspicion of preparing arson attacks near Nuremberg

Two citizens of Belarus, aged 39 and 50, are suspected of preparing sabotage in Bavaria, the Munich Prosecutor General's Office said. According to Welt, they were planning arson attacks in the Nuremberg area and have been in custody since 7 October.

On 26 October, Romania's domestic intelligence service SRI said it had uncovered a Russian sabotage network in the country which, it claims, was directly coordinated by Russian intelligence services. According to SRI, on 14 September members of the network tried to set fire to the Carfil weapons factory in Brașov. Romanian prosecutors suspect the Belarusians may have taken part in the arson attack on an industrial facility in Brașov on the night of 14 September.

Separately, German authorities reported the detention in Bavaria of two men suspected of ties with Russian intelligence services and of preparing sabotage. This is a statement from the press service of the Prosecutor General at Germany's Supreme Court; it does not concern citizens of Belarus.

Romanian intelligence said it had discovered a sabotage network run by Russia and allegedly responsible for the arson attack. The suspects, according to its information, could have been part of this espionage and sabotage network.

According to Spiegel, two people were detained in Bavaria on suspicion of working for Russian intelligence services. The outlet describes them as Russian Germans: 39-year-old Dieter S. and 37-year-old Alexander Dzh. The press service of the Prosecutor General at Germany's Supreme Court also gives the names Dieter S. and Alexander Y.; surnames are not disclosed.

According to the Munich Prosecutor General's Office, the Belarusians intended to use flammable substances to set fire to a building or a critical infrastructure facility in the Nuremberg area; exactly which one has not yet been established. The arson was planned near a railway line and a power line.

According to Die Welt, the aim of the sabotage may have been to create a threat to Germany's security. Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism is seeking the extradition of the two Belarusians detained in Germany and of one Ukrainian held in custody in Poland.

According to Spiegel, the two detained Germans intended to carry out arson attacks and bombings at military and industrial sites and defence enterprises, including the American military base in Grafenwöhr.

The Belarusians are accused of acting as agents and of conspiring to commit sabotage and arson. According to Die Welt, they were to be paid for it.

According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, the suspects were preparing sabotage attacks on the country's military transport routes.