The Russian embassy in Berlin has rejected all allegations following the arrest of two suspected spies for Moscow. "No evidence has been presented to testify to the plans of those arrested and their possible relationships with Russian structures," the embassy said in a statement on Thursday. The summoning of Ambassador Sergei Nechayev to the Foreign Ministry was an "open provocation aimed at fueling the already excessive spyomania in the Federal Republic of Germany and inflaming anti-Russian sentiment," the statement said.

Russia began its war of aggression against Ukraine more than two years ago, which has also severely disrupted relations with the West. Nevertheless, the Russian embassy accuses the federal government of destroying German-Russian relations and of taking a militaristic course by arming Ukraine. According to the embassy, ​​the latest espionage case is just a diversionary tactic with which the federal government wants to distract attention from the scandal surrounding a wiretapped telephone call from high-ranking Bundeswehr officers.

The ambassador demanded quick access to the suspects if they really had Russian citizenship. “We have made it clear that all unfriendly actions towards Russia will not go unanswered,” it continued. In the past, diplomats from the opposing side were often expelled in espionage cases. In such cases, Russia always responds in the same way. Because of the war in Ukraine, both countries have expelled many diplomats anyway. In addition, most consulates in both countries were closed.