The home of two pro-Russia activists in Germany was reportedly raided by police on August 21 as part of an investigation into alleged criminal activity.
Officials have said that the raid on the home of Elena Kolbasnikova and Max Schlund was in relation to a potential breach of Germany’s War Weapons Control Act. The law reportedly “regulates production, transfer, distribution, acquisition as well as transport of items, materials and organisms that are intended for waging war”.
According to a report by Reuters, the raid was conducted after the two presided over a donation drive, with the media outlet claiming to have discovered back in January that the pair were handing the gathered cash to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
With the funds said to have been spent on walkie-talkie radios, headphones and telephones, Reuters speculated that the raid was being conducted by German law enforcement on the back of its reporting.
Such a narrative has been denied both by a spokesman for the Cologne public prosecutor and German newspaper Bild, with the latter instead reporting that the raid was in relation to Schlund’s alleged possession of a Kalashnikov rifle.
A German military officer arrested for allegedly spying for Russia is said to have done so out of “frustration”, German media outlets have reported. https://t.co/T5Wis7taYx
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 10, 2023
“Schlund is said to have sent a photo of the weapon to friends on social networks,” the paper wrote, before adding that the rifle was said to have been decommissioned.
Kolbasnikova and Schlund are described as painting themselves as victims, with sources close to the pair reportedly claiming that Schlund was “seriously injured” in the raid.
German officials have stated that they are not aware of Schlund’s injury and so cannot comment on it.
Both of the activists are said to have come into conflict with the German legal system in the past, with Kolbasnikova having previously been fined for “advocating” for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Schlund is said to have been handed fines totalling €2,500 in relation to charges of attempted bodily harm and property damage.
Kyiv has branded suggestions that it surrender land to Russia for the sake of achieving peace as “ridiculous” and “absolutely unacceptable”. https://t.co/Ivm1ksTkOT
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 16, 2023
