Three men have been charged in Germany with working for a Russian intelligence service and possibly plotting to kill a man, Euronews reported, citing the federal prosecutor's office.

The three men arrested in a “particularly serious case” on June 19 last year in Frankfurt were identified as Ukrainian citizen Robert A, Armenian citizen Vardges I. and Russian citizen Arman S.

Their full names have not been released under German privacy rules.

“The spying operation allegedly served to prepare further intelligence operations in Germany, which may even have led to murders,” prosecutors said.

German prosecutors said that in early May 2024, Armenian citizen Vardges I. received orders from Russian intelligence to spy on a man living in Germany who had fought in the Ukrainian armed forces after the outbreak of war in 2022.

To do so, Wardges I. recruited Robert A. and Arman S., who are accused of attempting to lure the man to a meeting at a cafe in downtown Frankfurt in order to establish his identity and gather additional information about him.

Because the man had previous contact with German police, the meeting never took place, prosecutors said, adding that the three men remain in custody.