Media: Expelled Russian military attaché oversaw spy network in Germany

Andrey Mayorov, the deputy Russian military attaché who was expelled from Germany, is alleged to have overseen a spy network operated by Russia’s military intelligence service, the Main Directorate (GU), according to investigations by The Insider and Der Spiegel.

Mayorov, who held the rank of colonel, is described as the handler of Ilona Kopylova (also known as Wiener), a citizen of Russia, Ukraine and Germany who was arrested earlier. A former paratrooper from Pskov, Mayorov served at the 162nd Center for Military-Technical Information of the Main Directorate of the Russian General Staff.

Investigators link his activities closely to Kopylova, who headed the consulting firm Wiener & Partner. According to the reports, she cultivated close relationships with prominent German business figures and politicians, attended high-level events, and systematically transferred intelligence she collected to Russian military intelligence.

One of the most prominent episodes cited by investigators concerns Kopylova’s involvement in a NATO conference held in 2023 at Berlin’s Adlon Hotel. Authorities believe that on some occasions she may have brought Mayorov to such events under an assumed name.

Kopylova is also reported to have maintained contacts with senior military figures, including Walter Storz, the former head of the German Air Force’s 61st Test Centre, and retired Air Force officer Uwe V. Investigators conducted searches of their apartments and seized mobile phones, but it remains unclear whether Kopylova obtained any sensitive or valuable information from them. None of the individuals involved has been detained at this stage.

By Tamilla Hasanova