- German authorities are looking into whether Moscow is behind a secret effort to frame environmentalists and the Green Party for the vandalism of hundreds of vehicles ahead of the country’s federal elections. That’s according to a report from the German magazine Spiegel.
- Police said more than 270 vehicles in Berlin and surrounding areas had their exhaust pipes plugged up with expanding construction foam.
- Stickers were reportedly left on vandalized cars showing Green Party leader Robert Habeck, who is running for chancellor, with a message reading, “Be Greener.”
Full Story
German authorities are looking into whether Moscow is behind a secret effort to frame environmentalists and the Green Party for the vandalism of hundreds of vehicles, according to a report from the German magazine Spiegel on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
What did investigators find?
Investigators said they found construction foam cartridges and foam guns in a van driven by three men just outside of Berlin in December of 2024. The discovery came after dozens of car owners reported vandalism to their tailpipes.
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Spiegel reports that stickers were left on vandalized cars showing Green Party leader Robert Habeck, who is running for chancellor, with a message reading, “Be Greener.”
Prosecutors in Germany also said they have four suspects connected to the vehicle vandalisms, including young men from Germany, Romania, Serbia and Bosnia. Authorities said they are suspected of 123 counts of vandalism, and said they found containers of construction foam during house searches.
Why do authorities suspect Russia may be to blame?
Investigators report one of the men said he and his accomplices were contacted and told to commit crimes by a Russian using the chat app Viber. He said the men were given precise instructions and were promised $104 for each vehicle they damaged.
Sources in “security circles,” according to Spiegel, suspect a targeted Kremlin campaign seeking to hurt Habeck and the Green Party’s image ahead of a federal election on Feb. 23.
Germany’s foreign minister has refused to speculate on whether Russia is behind the crimes, and said the investigation is ongoing.
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What warning signs has German intelligence seen?
In recent months, German intelligence officials have warned of Russian criminals attempting to recruit domestic actors to pull off spying and sabotage efforts in exchange for money, as Western intelligence has become more aware of Russian spies in Europe.
Tags: cars, China, Counter-espionage, Crime, Election, Election security, Europe, Geopolitics, Germany, Kremlin, Moscow, One-China, People’s Republic of China, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, South China Sea, Vladimir Putin
[JACK AYLMER]
GERMAN AUTHORITIES ARE LOOKING INTO WHETHER MOSCOW IS BEHIND A SECRET EFFORT TO FRAME ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND THE GREEN PARTY FOR THE VANDALISM OF HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES AHEAD OF THE COUNTRY’S FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
THAT’S ACCORDING TO A REPORT FROM GERMAN MAGAZINE SPIEGEL.
POLICE SAY MORE THAN 270 VEHICLES IN BERLIN AND SURROUNDING AREAS HAD THEIR EXHAUST PIPES PLUGGED UP WITH EXPANDING CONSTRUCTION FOAM.
INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY FOUND CONSTRUCTION FOAM CARTRIDGES AND FOAM GUNS IN A VAN DRIVEN BY THREE MEN JUST OUTSIDE OF BERLIN IN DECEMBER.
THE DISCOVERY CAME AFTER DOZENS OF CARS OWNERS REPORTED VANDALISM TO THEIR TAILPIPES.
STICKERS WERE REPORTEDLY LEFT ON VANDALIZED CARS SHOWING GREEN PARTY LEADER ROBERT HABECK, WHO IS RUNNING FOR CHANCELLOR, WITH A MESSAGE READING, “BE GREENER.”
PROSECUTORS IN GERMANY ALSO SAY THEY HAVE FOUR SUSPECTS CONNECTED TO THE VEHICLE VANDALISMS– INCLUDING YOUNG MEN FROM GERMANY, ROMANIA, SERBIA AND BOSNIA.
AUTHORITIES SAY THEY ARE SUSPECTED OF 123 COUNTS OF VANDALISM AND SAID THEY FOUND TINS OF CONSTRUCTION FOAM DURING HOUSE SEARCHES.
INVESTIGATORS REPORT ONE OF THE MEN SAID HE AND HIS ACCOMPLICES WERE CONTACTED AND TOLD TO COMMIT THE CRIMES BY A RUSSIAN USING THE CHAT MESSAGING APP VIBER.
HE SAID THE MEN RECEIVED PRECISE INSTRUCTIONS AND WERE PROMISED 104 DOLLARS FOR EACH VEHICLE THEY DAMAGED.
SOURCES IN “SECURITY CIRCLES,” ACCORDING TO SPIEGEL, SUSPECT A TARGETED KREMLIN CAMPAIGN SEEKING TO HURT HABECK AND THE GREEN PARTY’S IMAGE AHEAD OF A FEDERAL ELECTION ON FEBRUARY 23RD.
GERMANY’S FOREIGN MINISTER HAS REFUSED TO SPECULATE ON WHETHER RUSSIA IS BEHIND THE CRIMES AND SAYS THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
IN RECENT MONTHS, HOWEVER, GERMAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS HAVE WARNED OF RUSSIAN CRIMINALS ATTEMPTING TO RECRUIT DOMESTIC ACTORS TO PULL OFF SPYING AND SABOTAGE EFFORTS IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY AS WESTERN INTELLIGENCE HAS BECOME MORE AWARE OF RUSSIAN SPIES IN EUROPE.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M JACK AYLMER.
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