The Figure Of The Front Body Of The Embassy In Berlin Seems To Be A Russian Secret Agent

ILLUSTRATION/UNSPLASH

JAKARTA - German security services believe the man found dead on the street in front of the Russian embassy in Berlin last month was an undercover agent for Russia's intelligence agency FBS, Der Spiegel reported.

The 35-year-old's body was found on the morning of October 19, the magazine said. Der Spiegel, citing security sources, said the man fell from the top floor of the embassy.

The Berlin Police, as reported by Antara, Friday, November 5, declined to comment and directed all questions to the prosecutor's office, which could not immediately be questioned. The discovery of the body in front of the Russian diplomatic mission was not previously reported.

Security sources told Der Spiegel it was not immediately clear how the diplomat fell and what caused his death. The Russian embassy refused to perform an autopsy, he wrote.

The unnamed man was officially registered as a diplomat, he said. He also has ties to the family of one of the senior officials of the Russian-based FSB's second directorate, which deals with counterterrorism.

Der Spiegel quoted the Russian embassy as calling the incident a "tragic accident" which would not be commented on "for ethical reasons". The embassy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Spiegel's report.

A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said at a press conference on Friday that the German government was aware of the death of the Russian diplomat in Berlin but could not provide any explanation.