Berlin SPD domestic politician Sebastian Fiedler has warned of terrorists infiltrating the flow of refugees. He named Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad as possible masterminds.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Putin, for example with the help of his buddy Assad, tried to undermine and discredit the flow of refugees – through criminals or, in the worst case, through terrorists,” the member of the Bundestag told the Handelsblatt.
Syria is one of the supporters of Russia. In a phone call with Putin, Assad expressed understanding for the Russian attack on Ukraine. The bond between the two stems from the fact that Putin is Assad’s most important ally in the Syrian civil war. Thanks to Moscow and Tehran’s help, the Syrian President’s supporters now control around two-thirds of the country again.
The police union (GdP) sees it similar to Fiedler. “It is possible that terrorists will also find their way to Germany as part of a refugee movement,” GdP federal chairman Oliver Malchow told the Handelsblatt. It can also be assumed “that this can be part of a war strategy that is intended to contribute to the destabilization of internal security in this country”.
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The so-called Tiergarten murder of 2019 on behalf of Russian state authorities made this clear. “In terms of internal security, it is important to always keep a watchful eye on any escape movements,” emphasized Malchow. “That was true of Syria, that was true of Afghanistan and it’s no different in the case of Ukraine.”
Spreading fake news via Telegram or TikTok
For Fiedler it is obvious that Putin will use every opportunity to harm the West. This is also indicated by the activities of the Russian intelligence services, which have been “oriented towards the destabilization of western democracies” for years.
“I think it can be expected that this strategy will now produce increased activities as a war strategy,” said the former chairman of the Association of German Criminal Investigators (BDK). “Putin’s secret service troops will try to drive as many rifts into our society as possible.”
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In addition to cyber attacks, Fiedler also cited attempts to spread fake news via online platforms such as Telegram or TikTok “to incite, incite and radicalize the population of Russian origin in Germany in particular”. He therefore considers it important “to disclose the dirty tricks and strategies of the criminal Putin regime”. “All of our security authorities must set a massive focus here – especially in terms of personnel,” emphasized the SPD politician.
Against the background of the Russian war in Ukraine, security authorities currently see an increased risk of cyber attacks, and protective measures have been stepped up. In addition, the German domestic secret service has placed a special focus on Russian actors.
“In the intelligence services and security authorities, we have corresponding working hypotheses and possible scenarios that we are preparing for,” said the President of the Thuringian Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Stephan Kramer, the Handelsblatt.
Russian embassy targeted by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Kramer also considers Fiedler’s assessments to be plausible. “Even small actions and events can lead to uncertainty, chaos and destabilization.” In view of the increasing German commitment to Ukraine and the increasing pressure on the Russian aggressors to succeed, “the Federal Republic is increasingly becoming the target of attacks at all levels,” explained the constitutional protection officer . “We have to be prepared for the fact that the intensity of the attacks against us and our infrastructure will increase significantly in the coming weeks.”
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution warns against the spread of “unverifiable allegations” by Russia.
(Photo: dpa)
In a current security advisory, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution warns of fake news that the Russian embassy is spreading. According to the Cologne authorities, the Russian embassy “apparently deliberately” exaggerated the actual extent of attacks or discrimination against people of Russian origin in Germany on its website and in social networks. In doing so, the embassy relied on “unverifiable allegations”.
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“This action can help to further fuel the already emotionally charged social situation, especially within the Russian and Ukrainian communities in Germany,” warn the secret service officials.
The deputy head of the FDP parliamentary group, Konstantin Kuhle, sees the activities of the Russian embassy as “aggression against the Federal Republic”. “By representatives of the Russian state spreading their lies in Germany, discord is being deliberately sown in society,” Kuhle told the Handelsblatt. “The federal government can respond with further expulsions of Russian diplomats and should reserve this step for further dissemination of targeted disinformation.”
The Union also called for decisive action against Russia’s disinformation campaigns. “Now all the means of the well-fortified constitutional state must be exhausted to slow down these attempts,” said parliamentary group leader Andrea Lindholz (CSU) to the Handelsblatt. “Our arsenal ranges from the penal code, the right of assembly, European countermeasures to intelligence tools.” This must now be used resolutely.
More: Espionage war: How Europe is trying to smash the Russian spy network