FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
He spent time in one of the pools of a thermal center on Lake Constance. He is muscular, has a bull's neck and smiles for the camera. This is the last photo published on Facebook on February 19, 2025 of Yevhen B, the 29-year-old who probably won't share any more photos from his personal life on social networks for some time.
He was arrested in Kreuzlingen TG on Tuesday. Swiss police arrested the 29-year-old at the request of the German Federal Prosecutor General. He accuses him and two other Ukrainians of “agent activities with the aim of sabotage.”
The trio were said to have planned “serious arson attacks” and “bomb attacks.” The goal was to transport goods to Germany.
According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, the men were in contact with one or more people working for the Russian secret service.
A few weeks before their arrest, they sent packages with GPS trackers, ostensibly to track shipping routes. Later, according to investigators, they wanted to send packages containing incendiary and explosive materials and blow them up on German soil.
Yevhen B. received the GPS trackers in Switzerland. He was also said to have ordered the test transmissions. Who is this alleged Russian agent? A cold-blooded saboteur? An ignorant “disposable agent” who allowed himself to be bought by the Russians? Or just an innocent Ukrainian?
Blick managed to speak to his mother. His social media profiles also provide initial answers – as does a wanted notice from Polish police.
In 2020, Yevhen was wanted in Lublin, in eastern Poland. The background is not described in detail; it simply refers to a “criminal offense.” However, his birthplace is mentioned: Mariupol - a Ukrainian city on the Sea of Azov. It is currently under Russian occupation.
Yevhen seems to be an adrenaline junkie. In his Instagram posts, he jumps out of airplanes, bungee jumps, poses in boxing gloves in a fighting ring or in a judo kimono with a white belt. The posts are accompanied by rap music, including the song “Many Men (Wish Death)” by 50 Cent. A former childhood friend describes Yevhen B. as “a cool guy, he likes sports.”
That B. is supposed to be an agent? "This is a ridiculous mistake."
B.'s mother also considers the accusations absurd. She does not deny that B. was involved in the story with the packages. But she believes that her son was deceived: "He knew nothing about it. That is 100 percent certain."
But B. has ties to Russia. One of his sisters lives in Moscow. She works for the same steel company where B. once worked. At least that’s what their respective Facebook profiles say. Another sister lives in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia. Is it possible that B. is pro-Russian? “Of course not,” his mother answers this question – “Russia has killed us and is killing us.”
In fact, his Instagram profile suggests a pro-Ukrainian stance. For example, B. posted drone footage from the Reuters news agency showing destroyed houses in Mariupol. He writes in Ukrainian: “I’m posting this video so I don’t forget my home and remember what we went through together.” His contribution ends with a blue and yellow heart – the national colors of Ukraine.
It is highly unlikely that B. was in Mariupol during the invasion. A photo shows him a few days before the major Russian attack in a cafe in Lviv – in the far west of Ukraine. According to an investigation by “Stern”, he came to Germany as a refugee in May 2022. In the south, towards Lake Constance, he is said to have had a business orientation. He offered jobs in Facebook groups – all over the country. Sometimes he was looking for solar panel installers, sometimes plasterers or tilers in Dortmund, writes the newspaper “Stern”.
What B. did later in Switzerland remains unclear. The only thing that is known is that on Facebook he was looking for a new tenant for an apartment with more than 3 rooms in Kreuzlingen starting in May. It is also unclear when exactly the Ukrainian came to Switzerland. His first Instagram photo here is dated January 5, 2023. It shows him on Lake Lucerne, with Mount Pilatus in the background. Other photos show him hiking in the Alps or in the middle of Zurich's old town.
B. has created an entire Instagram profile about his time in Switzerland. The profile is called "New Home." He is now in a Swiss detention cell, ready for deportation. German authorities have requested his extradition. The young Ukrainian will face trial and risk a life behind bars. /Adapted from Pamphlet by Blick/
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