Russian intelligence services are expanding their activities in Germany.

The Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) has recorded a significant increase in spying attempts and disruptive measures by Russian intelligence services in Germany. "We are talking about a sharp increase in cases of espionage and hybrid measures. The approach is more massive and also more aggressive," Martina Rosenberg, President of the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), told the German Press Agency in Berlin.

With regard to Russian intelligence services, she states: "They are proceeding as we knew it during the Cold War and are expanding their toolbox beyond that."

Recent concerns have included the possible reconnaissance of military facilities and important parts of the infrastructure in Germany, sabotage of supply lines, cyberattacks via the internet, and even overflights with state-of-the-art drones protected against interference. Targeted disinformation is also often involved – as part of various, and therefore also referred to as hybrid, destabilization tactics.

According to information from the German Press Agency, the number of suspected cases has practically doubled within a year. Russian agents continue to enter Germany via third countries.

Russian intelligence agents also use direct contact to build their contact networks. "They try to establish a relationship or a basis of trust. There is also a risk that people with Russian roots, ethnic German repatriates, or people with connections to Russia will be targeted," warns Rosenberg.

A particular danger can arise when German soldiers or dual nationals travel to Russia or countries allied with Russia on vacation. They could be subjected to pressure or forced to cooperate.

The MAD has additional responsibilities with the ongoing development of the Lithuania Brigade, a German combat unit in the Baltic NATO state that will eventually comprise up to 5,000 men and women. The military intelligence service is being granted expanded powers for this purpose.

"It's no secret – Germany, as a logistical hub for NATO troop movements and an active NATO partner, is firmly in the sights of foreign intelligence services," Rosenberg said. He added: "The best protection against espionage is to take this threat seriously, react attentively to any signs, and inform the relevant authorities in a timely manner."

The MAD is tasked with protecting the armed forces, countering extremists, and conducting security clearances for soldiers and civilian employees. It is the smallest of the German intelligence services, subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, and headquartered in Cologne. As in the days of East-West confrontation, countering espionage and sabotage is once again a central task.

In recent months, naval ships have been the target of suspected acts of sabotage on several occasions: sometimes it was severed cable harnesses, sometimes metal shavings in a drive, sometimes oil in the drinking water system.

Russian intelligence services have been ramping up their activities in or against Germany for years. For example, Russian agencies are credited with a 2015 hacker attack on the Bundestag, as well as the murder of a Georgian man by a Russian intelligence agent in Berlin's Kleiner Tiergarten park in 2019. The convicted Russian agent, Vadim Krasikov, was released last August in a prisoner exchange between Russia, Belarus, and several Western countries.