Germany: Fears of terrorists infiltrating refugee flows from Ukraine

SPD’s internal affairs politician Sebastian Fiedler warned of terrorists infiltrating refugee flows. He even named Russian President Vladimir Putin and the powerful Syrian man Bashar al-Assad as possible masterminds.

“I would not be surprised if Putin, for example, with the help of his friend Assad, tried to infiltrate and discredit refugee flows – through criminals or, at worst, terrorists,” the Bundestag MP told Handelsblatt.

Syria is one of Russia’s supporters. In a telephone conversation with Putin, Assad expressed understanding for the Russian attack on Ukraine. The link between the two stems from the fact that Putin is Assad’s most important ally in the Syrian civil war. Thanks to the help of Moscow and Tehran, supporters of the Syrian president now control about two-thirds of the country again.

The police union (GdP) sees it as Fiedler did. “Terrorists may also be found in Germany as part of a refugee movement,” Oliver Malchow, the GdP’s federal president, told Handelsblatt. It is also very likely “to be part of a war strategy to destabilize the country’s internal security”.

The so-called assassination of Tiergarten in 2019 on behalf of Russian state services made it clear, he said. “In terms of internal security, it is important to always monitor the respective movements of flights,” Malchow said. “This was true for Syria, it was true for Afghanistan and it is no different in the case of Ukraine.”

For Fiedler, it is clear that Putin will use every opportunity to harm the West. This is also indicated by the activities of the Russian secret services, which for years “aim, among other things, at the destabilization of the western democracies.”

“I think it is to be expected that this strategy will now produce increased activity as a war strategy,” said the former president of the German Association of Criminal Police Officers (BDK). “Putin’s secret service forces will try to bring as many divisive mushrooms as possible into our society.”

In addition to the cyber-attacks, Fiedler also cited attempts to spread fake news through online platforms such as the Telegram or TikTok “with the aim of inciting, inciting and radicalizing the Russian-born population in Germany in particular.” Therefore, he considers it important to “expose the dirty tricks and strategies of the Putin criminal regime.” “All our security services need to put a lot of emphasis on this issue – especially with regard to staff,” he said.

Against the backdrop of the Russian war in Ukraine, security authorities today see an increased risk of cyber attacks and security measures have been strengthened. In addition, the German intelligence service has placed particular emphasis on Russian agents.

“In intelligence and security services, we have similar work cases and possible scenarios for which we are preparing,” Thuringia intelligence chief Stephan Kramer told Handelsblatt.

The Russian embassy is targeted by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution
In addition to the infiltration of refugee flows by terrorists, Kramer also considers cyberattacks possible. “Even small actions and events can lead to uncertainty, chaos and destabilization.” “Due to Germany’s growing commitment to Ukraine in the form of arms deliveries, sanctions, but also financial support and growing pressure on Russian aggressors to succeed, the Federal Republic is becoming increasingly the target of attacks at all levels,” he said. constitutional protector.

In a recent security tip issued by the Federal Service for the Protection of the Constitution, he warned of false news being spread by the Russian embassy. According to the Cologne-based authority, the Russian embassy “obviously intentionally” exaggerates on its website and social networks the true extent of attacks or discrimination against people of Russian descent in Germany. In this way, the embassy resorts to “unverifiable allegations”.

“This action could further fuel the already emotionally charged social situation, especially within the Russian and Ukrainian communities in Germany,” the intelligence officials warned.

Konstantin Kuhle, deputy head of the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, described the Russian embassy’s activities as “an attack on the Federal Republic”. “With the representatives of the Russian state spreading their lies in Germany, discord in society is being deliberately sown,” Kuhle told Handelsblatt. “The German government can respond to this with further expulsions of Russian diplomats and should reserve this step for further dissemination of targeted misinformation.”

The CDU / CSU also called for decisive action against Russia’s disinformation campaigns. “All the means of the defenseless constitutional state must now be exhausted in order to put a stop to these efforts,” Andrea Lindholz (CSU), vice-chairwoman of the parliamentary group, told Handelsblatt. “Our arsenal extends beyond the penal code, the right of assembly, European countermeasures and the media.” This must now be used decisively.