Germany Expects an Increase in Russian Espionage - BfV

7/6/2021
singleNews

The activity of the Russian secret services in Germany has been high for many years. Espionage with varying degrees of intensity extends to the target areas of politics, business, science, technology and the military. This is stated in the Federal Service for the Protection of the Constitution of Germany (Bundesamtfür Verfassungsschutz)’s report for 2020.

According to German counterintelligence, the decline in Russian espionage is not expected in the foreseeable future. Rather, against the background of the current EU economic and trade sanctions against the Russian Federation and the intensification of contacts between the EU and the USA, we can expect even more intense espionage.

The Federal Service for the Protection of the Constitution of Germany points out that the intelligence services of the Russian Federation use, in particular, cyber attacks to obtain digital information, exercise political influence or commit sabotage. The choice of targets is determined by the relevant state specifications, such as promoting the development of the domestic economy or external policy goals.

Apart from obtaining information from legal residences, Russian intelligence services also conduct operations exclusively from the headquarters in Moscow or directly controlled from there. This also includes the use of so-called illegals. In Russia itself, the secret services specifically target German citizens who stay there for a long time, professionally or privately, or those travelling there regularly. These include, in particular, members of diplomatic missions and civil servants, company representatives, scientists and students. To this end, special services use a wide range of Russian surveillance options - from border control to surveillance of missions abroad and control in the economic and scientific spheres. If the information obtained can compromise the target person, the services do not shy away from aggressive recruitment attempts.

In addition to its espionage activities, Russia continues to try to direct political and public opinion in Germany to its advantage by spreading propaganda, misinformation and other influence. Important tools are state-sponsored social networks, private institutions (such as think tanks), and Russian state media. Russia's goals are to discredit the German government, polarize political discourse, and undermine trust in government institutions.

Russian cyber attacks are mainly directed against government agencies, parliaments and politicians, the armed forces, supranational organizations, international business enterprises, research institutions, and political organizations. Attention is also paid to government critics, journalists, media companies, non-governmental organizations and the largest international banks.