Russian-Backed Sabotage Targets German Election with Fake Green Party Campaign

German authorities link a car vandalism spree to Russian operatives attempting to undermine the Green Party ahead of February's federal election.

Over 270 cars across Germany had their exhaust pipes sabotaged with expanding foam, with fake pro-Green Party stickers left on the vehicles to mislead the public.
Investigators believe the operation was orchestrated by Russian actors aiming to discredit the Green Party and influence the February 23 federal election.
Four suspects, including individuals from Serbia, Bosnia, Romania, and Germany, reportedly carried out the acts after being recruited through the messaging app Viber and paid €100 per vehicle by Russian operatives.
German intelligence has warned of an increased reliance by Russia on low-level agents for sabotage and disinformation campaigns as part of its broader hybrid warfare strategy.
Green Party leaders and German officials have condemned the attacks as an attempt to divide society and undermine democratic processes, with calls to strengthen defenses against such threats.