Agency Report –
Nuremberg, Germany – A former soldier with the German armed forces has been arrested in Ukraine on suspicion of three counts of rape and possession of child pornography, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office in Bamberg said on Tuesday.
The cybercrime unit based in the southern German city has also launched investigations into the man over further allegations of rape as well as embezzlement of ammunition from German army stocks.
The 29-year-old was arrested in the north-eastern Ukrainian region of Sumy upon the request of German investigators on Thursday and brought before a judge on Friday. It was still unclear when he would be extradited to Germany, the spokesman said.
According to previous media reports, the man travelled to Ukraine to join the war launched by Russia almost three years ago.
He is also believed to have committed sexual offences in Ukraine and posted videos of those crimes online, the German investigators added.
Investigations in Bamberg were first launched following a tip-off from US authorities suggesting the man could have been in the possession of or distributed child pornography.
His flat in Bamberg was searched in March 2022, with investigators seizing data, weapons and munition. However, there was initially no reason to issue an arrest warrant against the man, according to the public prosecutor.
In June 2022, prosecutors learned that the man might have travelled to Ukraine, with a European arrest warrant issued against him in September in light of new findings in the investigation.
Investigators also submitted two extradition requests in 2023, which eventually led to the man’s arrest.
