Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt warns against Russia's role in espionage and sabotage activities in Germany.
— One of the goals of our new strategy against hybrid threats is to determine whether foreign powers are using left-wing extremist or anarchist groups to conducting espionage or sabotage – says Dobrindt in an interview for “Die Welt”. — One of the assumptions is that the so-called low-level agents, i.e. foreign powers, use people who can be approached or blackmailed to carry out acts of espionage or sabotage.
“Left-wing extremists are trying to delegitimize the state and institutions”
In the case of acts of sabotage against railway and energy infrastructure, the question arises whether “it is even possible to make such a clear distinction” between foreign state actors and left-wing extremist groups. Dobrindt announced that his the ministry will create a special unit dealing with hybrid threats. — It will analyze reports, recognize patterns and identify potential actors, the politician announced.
The article continues below the video
Referring to infiltration attempts by foreign entities, Dobrindt said: “We are observing that left-wing extremists are trying to delegitimize the state and institutions. It cannot be ruled out that foreign powers support such activities. It is striking how often left-wing extremist groups adopt Russian narratives in the context of the war in Ukraine, said the Interior Minister.
In recent years in Germany There were several acts of sabotage against critical infrastructure. Perpetrators have repeatedly targeted railway lines: for example, in October 2022, the deliberate damage to Deutsche Bahn fiber optic cables paralyzed a large part of rail traffic in northern Germany. In July this year, a fire in a cable channel damaged an important railway line between Duisburg and Duesseldorf. The police believe it was an act of sabotage. The services are investigating this matter.
Deutsche Bahn employees inspect a section of tracks after a fire that damaged cables. Duesseldorf, July 31, 2025Christoph Reichwein/dpa/PAP
The Tesla gigafactory in Gruenheide was also the target of sabotage several times. Setting fire to a high-voltage pylon led to a power outage at the factory in 2024. A left-wing extremist group later claimed responsibility for the attack. At the same time, the authorities are increasingly reporting attacks on energy infrastructure, incl arson and manipulation of electricity pylons in Berlinsome of which have led to widespread power outages, as occurred in August this year. Left-wing extremists also claimed responsibility for this attack.
In all these acts of sabotage, most of which come from anarchist, eco-anarchist or far-left circles, there have been for some time suspicions that the crimes could also be controlled by foreign states. However, there is no evidence for this.
“Huge increase in dangerous hybrid activities.” Russian ambassador summoned to the German Foreign Ministry
On Friday morning, the German Foreign Ministry, headed by Johann Wadephul, summoned the Russian ambassador. Reason: Russia was responsible cyber attack on German air traffic control and systematic disinformation campaignsincluding during the German parliamentary elections in February 2025. As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said, responsibility for these incidents was clearly attributed to the Russian military intelligence service GRU.
Sergei J. Nechayev, Russian ambassador to Germany, during the celebrations of the end of World War II. Oranienburg, April 28, 2025SOEREN STACHE/DPA/PAP
— For some time now we have been observing a huge increase in dangerous hybrid activities on the part of Russia, admitted a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. — These include disinformation campaigns, espionage and cyberattacks, as well as sabotage attempts.
The aim is to “divide society, stoke distrust, provoke rejection and undermine trust in democratic institutions.” In this way, Russia “is a very specific threat to our security.”
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
