Germany charges Austrian with covert delivery of technical know-how to Russia

Germany charges Austrian with spying for Russia

BERLIN — German prosecutors have charged a 54-year-old Austrian man with feeding Russia’s spy agency with information and technical materials from the military and civilian helicopter industries.

Federal prosecutors say in a terse statement Wednesday that a man identified only as Harald Alois S. is suspected of working together with Russia’s SVR spy agency from 1997 to 2000.

They say the suspect, who has not been taken into custody, worked “to procure technical objects, documents and know-how from the civil and military helicopter industries.”

He also was allegedly responsible for putting German engineers in touch with members of the Russian agency. The prosecutors say he was paid at least $10,500 in compensation.