German prosecutors have searched the home of two pro-Kremlin activists, looking for evidence that the couple donated cash to buy radios for Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
Max Schlund and his partner Elena Kolbasnikova allegedly donated funds collected from supporters in Germany to a Russian army division and the money was used to purchase walkie-talkie radios, headphones and telephones.
European Union sanctions ban supplying or financing the purchase of certain goods for the Russian military.
The banned list includes radio equipment.
Under German law, the criminal penalty for anyone found to have violated sanctions is up to five years in prison.
Ulf Willuhn, a representative of the Cologne public prosecutors, said officers executed a search warrant on this morning at the couple’s address, and took computers and folders containing written documents.
Mr Willuhn said they would use the evidence they took to evaluate if Schlund and Kolbasnikova had violated paragraph 18 of the German foreign trade and payments act, which sets out punishments for breaches of international sanctions.
A spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said this month that Kolbasnikova was the victim of “persecution” by the German authorities.
