German intelligence chiefs claim to need more money and power to counter the alleged threats from Moscow
German intelligence agencies have claimed that Russia is focused on undermining Germany’s unity through disinformation, influence operations and sabotage. They have asked lawmakers for more power and funding.
The heads of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), and the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) presented their semiannual testimonies to the Bundestag’s control committee on Monday.
BND chief Bruno Kahl stated that Moscow views Berlin as an enemy due to Germany’s support for Ukraine, and that Russia has already begun to “initiate direct kinetic measures against the West.”
“The Russian armed forces will probably be able to carry out an attack on NATO in terms of personnel and material by the end of this decade at the latest,” Kahl told the committee.
Thomas Haldenwang, head of the internal security service BfV, asserted that Russia aims to divide German society by exploiting existing social issues.
“A major problem is that a great number of people in our country, in particular the youth, no longer consume legacy media,” Haldenwang told lawmakers at one point.
“We need to establish the one true worldview,” he said at another point during the session, noting that in the BfV’s view, Russia “is our enemy,” a perspective the service has held for several years.
Dirk Wiese, a Social-Democrat lawmaker on the committee, expressed concerns about the dangers of Russian influence spread through “disinformation platforms RT and Sputnik.”
Haldenwang brought up the so-called Doppelganger project, which the US and the EU have accused Russia of orchestrating. He claimed it involves creating fake versions of “reputable” outlets that are then used to disseminate “Russian disinformation and propaganda.”
He echoed another EU talking point about the Czech-based outlet Voice of Europe being a Russian disinformation operation. He claimed its goal was to “to win over sympathetic European politicians in exchange for money so that these politicians would pursue Russian policies in the European Parliament or elsewhere.”
German intelligence was particularly concerned that some of the €300 million that Russia supposedly allocated for interference in elections and democracies around the West – according to US intelligence assessments, anyway – might be used against Berlin, according to Haldenwang. However, after “intense contacts” with American colleagues, the BfV was informed that “no funds” from this alleged endeavor were allocated to Germany.
Claims of Russian propaganda and subterfuge presenting a major threat were also invoked by the head of the British Security Service (MI5), Ken McCallum, in a speech seeking more power and government funding last week.
Moscow has categorically denied any interference in foreign elections or other internal affairs, alleging instead that the US and its allies have been working with Kiev on targeting Russian territory, civilian population and even nuclear facilities.