Two men charged with spying on Danish defence firm
Tuesday 20th October 2026 on 20:15 in
Denmark
Two young men have been charged with spying on Danish defence company MyDefence, DR reports. The men, aged 18 and 21, deny the charges.
They were arrested on Monday and appeared in a preliminary court hearing on Tuesday. The hearing was held behind closed doors, and many details of the case remain unknown. It was still under way when DR published its report.
The men are accused of violating Section 108 of Denmark’s Criminal Code, which covers espionage and carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison. Police say they suspect the men photographed MyDefence on 19 October, acting with one or more unidentified accomplices. The images were allegedly sent to someone on Telegram.
Prosecutors suspect that a Russian intelligence service may also be involved, according to information presented in court before the hearing was closed. The men do not understand Danish, so an interpreter who spoke Russian and Ukrainian was present. A court order bars publication of information that could identify them.
MyDefence is headquartered in Nørresundby in North Jutland. It makes anti-drone equipment that monitors drones and protects against attacks, and has supplied equipment to Ukraine’s military. The company declined to comment to DR News.
The Danish Security and Intelligence Service, PET, is working with police on the investigation. PET declined to comment on the case but has warned generally that people who accept jobs photographing defence companies and other security-sensitive targets could be helping espionage.
Many questions remain unanswered, including what the men intended to do, what was photographed and how the images were to be used. Authorities have not identified the suspected Russian intelligence service or said how it may have been involved.
MyDefence has previously been hacked. Its chief executive, Dan Hermansen, said Russian hackers accessed emails before a business trip to Ukraine. Last week, PET warned that Russia had concrete plans for sabotage against Danish defence companies. PET counterintelligence chief Emil Græsholm said the service had briefed selected companies and industry organisations and advised them on security measures.
PET has also said Russia is trying to recruit ordinary Danes through social media and online platforms for tasks such as photographing companies or installations, potentially to help plan sabotage. The authorities have not said whether the alleged photography of MyDefence was connected to such plans.