German security sources warn of Russian-backed disinformation before state elections

Berlin, Germany. Russian-backed disinformation campaigns are escalating in Germany ahead of next month’s elections in Berlin and the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, German security sources said. The campaigns often target local political rivals of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Election context

Opinion polls indicate that the AfD could make substantial gains in the ballots, including possibly taking power in Saxony-Anhalt. The party’s leader has pledged to restore Germany’s ties with Russia.

Germany’s relations with Moscow have largely been frozen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Campaign targets

According to the security sources, the campaigns are intended to polarise the political climate and discredit the governing conservative CDU, its coalition partner the SPD, the Greens and the Free Democratic Party.

The sources said the campaign was centrally orchestrated from Russia.

Russian response

Moscow has consistently denied involvement in disinformation campaigns against Western countries. Russia’s embassy in Berlin said allegations of Russian interference were part of “anti-Russian hysteria” being deliberately stirred up ahead of the elections.

“Loud propagandistic accusations against Russia are regularly launched, based on baseless speculation and false allegations … Of course, no actual evidence is presented for this,” the embassy said on Thursday.

“We do not interfere in Germany’s internal affairs,” it said.

Government monitoring

An interior ministry spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that the government was monitoring the campaign, dubbed “Matryoshka” after the traditional Russian nesting doll.

The government was not taking active measures such as deleting online videos, the spokesperson said. “At the moment, this campaign is not achieving significant reach online. That is not to say we can let our guard down or anything of the sort. It remains a serious disinformation campaign,” the spokesperson said.