German Cybersecurity Chief Investigated over Russia Ties

In this file photo taken on October 20, 2020 in Berlin, Arne Schoenbohm, President of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) presents the Report on the State of IT Security in Germany. (AFP)
In this file photo taken on October 20, 2020 in Berlin, Arne Schoenbohm, President of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) presents the Report on the State of IT Security in Germany. (AFP)
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German Cybersecurity Chief Investigated over Russia Ties

In this file photo taken on October 20, 2020 in Berlin, Arne Schoenbohm, President of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) presents the Report on the State of IT Security in Germany. (AFP)
In this file photo taken on October 20, 2020 in Berlin, Arne Schoenbohm, President of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) presents the Report on the State of IT Security in Germany. (AFP)

The head of Germany's national cybersecurity agency is under scrutiny over reports of ties to Russian intelligence, officials said Monday

Arne Schoenbohm, who heads the BSI agency, co-founded a cybersecurity group a decade ago that brings together experts from public institutions and the private sector. German media reported that one of its members is a company founded by a former Russian intelligence agent.

“The Interior Ministry takes the matters reported over the weekend seriously and is investigating them comprehensively,” the ministry said in a statement.

There is growing concern in Germany that the country's critical infrastructure might be targeted by Russia because of Berlin's support for Ukraine. On Saturday, an apparent act of sabotage forced German rail company Deutsche Bahn to halt passenger and cargo trains across the northwest of the country for nearly three hours.

After the nearly three-hour suspension, Deutsche Bahn said the problem — a “failure of the digital train radio system” — had been resolved but that some disruptions could still be expected. It later said the outage was caused by sabotage.

Transport Minister Volker Wissing said cables that are “essential for handling railway traffic safely” were deliberately severed at two separate locations. He said Germany’s federal police were investigating the incident.



Russia Captures UK National Fighting Alongside Ukraine in the Kursk Region

Civilians wearing military uniforms take part in a military training organized by Ukrainian soldiers of The Third Separate Assault Brigade in Kyiv, on November 23, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP)
Civilians wearing military uniforms take part in a military training organized by Ukrainian soldiers of The Third Separate Assault Brigade in Kyiv, on November 23, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP)
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Russia Captures UK National Fighting Alongside Ukraine in the Kursk Region

Civilians wearing military uniforms take part in a military training organized by Ukrainian soldiers of The Third Separate Assault Brigade in Kyiv, on November 23, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP)
Civilians wearing military uniforms take part in a military training organized by Ukrainian soldiers of The Third Separate Assault Brigade in Kyiv, on November 23, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP)

The Russian military captured a British national fighting alongside Ukrainian troops in Russia's partially occupied Kursk region, state news agency Tass reported Monday, citing unidentified sources in the law enforcement.
The man was identified by Tass and other media as James Scott Rhys Anderson. Tass quoted him as saying that he had served as a signalman in the British army for four years and then joined the International Legion of Ukraine, formed early on in Russia's nearly 3-year-old war against its neighbor.
In Ukraine, Anderson reportedly served as an instructor for Ukrainian troops and was deployed to the Kursk region against his will. Tass published a video of the man saying in English that he doesn’t want to be “here.”
The report couldn’t be independently verified, but if confirmed it could be the first publicly known case of a Western national captured on Russian soil while fighting for Ukraine.
The UK Embassy in Moscow and the Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.