German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. AFP
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"The German government will not tolerate espionage in Germany, especially not under the guise of diplomatic status," the German foreign ministry said on X.
"Today, we summoned the Russian ambassador and informed him of the expulsion of the individual in question, who spied on behalf of Russia."
The espionage row comes as Russia's war in Ukraine has sharply heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO member Germany, which accuses Russia of espionage, sabotage, and disinformation campaigns.
The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to inquiries from AFP on Thursday, having previously said it would not comment on the arrest and spy claims.
News of the case broke on Wednesday when police in Berlin arrested the alleged spy, a German-Ukrainian businesswoman partly identified as Ilona W.
She allegedly used her personal contacts with current and former German defence ministry employees to gather information about military aid for Ukraine, the arms industry, drone test sites, and other sensitive subjects.
She is also accused of helping her Russian handler use a fake identity to attend political events in Berlin and build useful contacts.
According to news magazine Der Spiegel, her handler inside the Russian embassy was an officer in the GRU military intelligence service who formally operated as a deputy military attache.
Der Spiegel partly identified him as Andrei M. and reported that Berlin had now ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, speaking during a visit to Ethiopia, said, "We have made it clear that this is a hostile act and that intelligence activities in our country are completely unacceptable, especially under the guise of diplomacy.
"The individual in question at the Russian embassy has been declared persona non grata with immediate effect.
"This shows that we are monitoring Russia's actions very closely and that we are taking action against them. Russia's aggressive actions have consequences."
The woman arrested on a spy charge faced a judge on Thursday, who ordered her remanded in custody.
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