Russia is always spying on Germany brazen and more aggressive

The military shielding service (MAD) has significantly increased attempts to spye and disruptive measures in Russian secret services in Germany. “We are talking about a strong increase in cases in the area of espionage and hybrid measures. The procedure is more massive and more aggressive,” said Martina Rosenberg, President of the Military Shield Service (MAD), the German Press Agency in Berlin.

With regard to Russian secret services, she states: “They proceed as we knew it in the Cold War and expand their instrument box beyond.”

Recently, among other things, the possible explanation of military properties and important parts of the infrastructure in Germany, sabotage of supply lines, cyber attacks via the Internet and also flying over with state -of -the -art and protected drones provided excitement. Targeted disinformation in the game is often also – as part of different tactics for destabilization as a hybrid.

According to information from the German Press Agency, the number of suspected cases has practically doubled within a year. Russian agents also travel to Germany via third countries.

Russian secret serviceers also use the direct address for their contact networks. “They try to create a relationship or a basis of trust. There is also a risk that people with Russian roots, late repatriates or people with relationships to Russia will be addressed in a targeted manner,” warns Rosenberg.

A special hazard can arise if German soldiers or dual nationals enter Russia on vacation or in Russia allies. They could be put under pressure there or forced to cooperate.

The MAD has additional tasks with the ongoing structure of the Brigade Lithuania, a German fighting association, which is later up to 5,000 men and women, in the Baltic Nato state. The military secret service receives extended powers for this.

“It is no secret-Germany is a logistical hub for NATO troop movements and as an active NATO partner in the focus of foreign intelligence services,” said Rosenberg. And: “The best protection against espionage is to take this threat seriously, to react carefully to signs and to inform the responsible authorities in good time.”

The MAD is commissioned to protect the armed forces, the defense against extremists and security checks of soldiers and civil workers. He is the smallest of German intelligence services, is subject to the Ministry of Defense and is based in Cologne. As in times of east-west confrontation, the defense against espionage and sabotage is again a central task.

Ships of the Navy have been the target of alleged sabotage campaigns in the past few months: sometimes it was cut cable trees, sometimes metal shavings in a drive, then an oil insertion in the drinking water system.

Russian secret services have been raising their activities in or against Germany for years. Russian bodies, for example, are attributed to a hacker attack on the Bundestag in 2015, as well as the murder of a Georgian by a Russian intelligence agent in the small zoo 2019 in Berlin. The Russian agent Wadim Krassikow, convicted as a perpetrator, was released last August during a prisoner exchange between Russia, Belarus and several western countries.