Secret Russian documents leaked to German media reveal an expanding covert propaganda operation targeting Germany, including alleged collaboration with European politicians from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
The documents, obtained and verified by German news outlet t-online, expose Moscow's systematic efforts to undermine German democracy and European unity ahead of critical elections. The leak comes as EU counterintelligence agencies warned of escalating Russian interference operations across the continent.
AfD MEP Maximilian Krah and former Left Party politician Dieter Dehm are named in the leaked materials as potential collaborators, though the documents do not definitively prove coordination. Krah, who already faces scrutiny over his ties to China and Russia, denied any wrongdoing.
The propaganda offensive includes manipulating Wikipedia entries, deploying artificial intelligence to generate disinformation, and establishing front organizations to spread pro-Kremlin narratives. German security services, including the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, are investigating the scope of the operations.
This isn't just about Germany. Similar Russian interference patterns have emerged in France, Italy, and Poland. The leak demonstrates how Moscow adapts its tactics—what worked in 2016 has evolved into sophisticated AI-driven campaigns that exploit social media algorithms and target specific electoral constituencies.
Brussels has struggled to develop effective countermeasures. The EU's foreign influence transparency directive remains stalled in the Council, blocked by member states worried about diplomatic consequences. Meanwhile, Russia operates with impunity, learning from each election cycle.
The timing matters. Germany faces critical state elections in Saxony and Thuringia later this year, where the AfD polls strongly. If the leaked documents are accurate, Moscow is betting on the far-right to fracture German support for Ukraine and EU unity.
Thomas Rid, a professor of strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University and expert on Russian disinformation, told t-online the leak represents "the most detailed insight yet into how the Kremlin's information warfare machinery targets Western democracies."
The European Commission declined to comment on ongoing intelligence matters, but a senior EU diplomat told reporters that "member states are finally taking the Russian threat seriously—about five years too late."
Brussels decides more than you think. What happens in German state elections reverberates across the EU's Ukraine policy, defense spending, and institutional cohesion. And Moscow knows it.
