In the middle of the election campaign, Moscow will orchestrate damage to cars from various German cities to generate revolt against the Green Party. Victims find pamphlets in cars with the message: “Be greener!”
Authorities are investigating whether Russia is behind a series of Vandalism acts Committed against private cars in several German states, which would aim to undermine the campaign of the Green Party Government Party.
The attacks, carried out in the middle of the election campaign, always follow the same pattern: the vehicle’s exhaust tube is clogged with expansive foam. The action takes only a few seconds and, As soon as the foam hardens, the car becomes unusable.
When the victims realized the situation, they found leaflets and stickers in the vehicle with the image of the current federal deputy federal deputy of Germany, Economy Minister and Green Party candidate for government leadership, Robert Habck, and the slogan “Be Green! ”.
Since December, the police in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin and Brandemburgo count 270 attacks that follow this same pattern – which, Astously, seems to explore the growing antipathy in society by climate activists who in recent years have blocked several highways and airports and intervened in public monuments and museums to order the end of fossil fuels.
Before the authorities considered the hypothesis of Russian sabotage, these acts of vandalism had already been reported in December last year by the German newspaper Bild that came up with the headline: “Climate radicals attack cars with expansive foam and ask for more climate protection to the minister Habeck ”. The article quoted one of the victims, a citizen of Baden-Württemberg: “A friend has been trying to convince for a long time to vote for the green but to no avail.”
In 2023, the German press reported from people who saw the tires of their empty SUV but, unlike the expansive foam, without much damage. The action was reportedly carried out by a group of activists who were self -titled “The Tyre EXHIENDS” (“Tire Extinguishers”).
Although the movement of climate activists is aparti, many associate it with the Green Party, which has its main pillar in the environmental agenda and has been a recurring target of misinformation and defamatory campaigns.
At the federal level, environmental policies defended by the Green Party in government have also been explored by right by right -wing radicals.
Suspect said he was recruited by Russian: 100 euros per spoiled car
Four suspects of vandalism acts – young people of German, Serbia and Bosnia – were questioned by police.
One of them said he was recruited by a Russian who would have sent instructions for Viber, a Russian application of messages. Volunteers received a few thousand euros, more 100 euros for each damaged car.
After initially assigning the actions to climate activists, Police now believe that the attacks are Russian sabotagecommitted to influence the election campaign.
A to elect a new parliament. The elections, initially planned for the end of the year, were anticipated after the collapse of the tripartidal government coalition led by federal chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
The crisis was precipitated by the departure of the Liberal Democratic Liberal Party (FDP) alliance, which was on a frequent collision with social democrats and the green.
Hybrid war
HABECK COLLEAGUE, Foreign Minister Annalena BaerBock said he had no doubt that Russia is behind the recent acts of vandalismand attributed the action to the support of the Green Party to Ukraine.
“It has long been clear that Kremlin tries, by different methods, to destabilize European democracies and discredit undesirable parties. Those who defend the European order of peace and oppose Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a violation of international law, becomes the target of Kremlin and his allies, ”said Baerbock, who also has a mandate in Parliament and is in campaign for reelection.
The government monitors with concern Russian attempts to interfere with the electoral process, and ensures that this has been going on since the last campaign to Parliament in 2021. The episodes quadrupled since the beginning of the war in Ukraineaccording to an analysis of the military intelligence organ Mad.
“We can’t ignore that the hybrid threat scenario has accentuated since then,” Baerbock stressed, citing other Russian propaganda campaigns to try to influence the German elections.
The case of clogged escapes is not the first act of sabotage of the gender. According to the Federal Department of Protection of the Constitution (BFV), German intelligence body, Russia has been recruiting for months abroad to commit crimes of less offensive potentialin order to destabilize rival governments.
The list of suspicious cases in Germany grows: incendiary packages in logistics centers and drop in aircraft; Drone overflows in Armed Forces facilities; Holder holes in the military barracks; people strange to invade military training areas; Damage to rail infrastructure and companies that provide essential services; News from one.
These episodes are added to the Baltic Sea caused by Russia’s ghost fleet ships to circumvent the sanctions for the export of their oil. In response, ships from various Baltic Sea countries began to patrol together with the region.
This is what experts call “Hybrid war”: The expansion of military combat operations with the aid of espionage, sabotage, cyber attacks, electoral interference, advertising or disinformation campaigns to weaken and destabilize the enemy internally.
But Germany is not the only target of Russian hybrid war. The European Union diplomatic representative told DW that Russian influence operations aim beyond: “We should not look at each of these cases in isolation, but to see them in a broader context.”
