Russian Matryoshka disinformation campaign activity detected in Germany

An increase in Russia-backed disinformation campaigns has been recorded in Germany ahead of regional elections in the federal states.

Source: Reuters; European Pravda

Details: According to the agency's sources, these campaigns are often directed against local political rivals of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

They noted that the Russian campaigns aim to polarise the political climate and discredit the current government and other parties.

Four security sources said German authorities are confident the campaigns are centrally coordinated from Russia through a network of companies.

As part of these efforts, videos are being circulated on social media, mostly in English, bearing the logos of reputable media outlets such as the BBC and Germany's ARD broadcaster.

These reportedly contain false allegations against local politicians – ranging from embezzlement to sexual harassment and abuse.

A spokesperson for Germany's Interior Ministry confirmed the government is monitoring the disinformation campaign, dubbed Matryoshka, but is not taking active countermeasures at this stage.

"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.

The AfD, which came second in last year's general election – the strongest result for a far-right party since the Second World War – continues to gain support ahead of several regional elections scheduled for September.

Background:

• In the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, the party is well placed to secure an absolute majority on 6 September, which would allow it to lead a state government for the first time.
• It was also reported that Germany's leading party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has assembled a broad team of experts to advise it during the regional election campaign in order to counter the AfD.

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