Germany wary of claims Russian influence behind spate of attacks
German security officials say they are carefully examining possible indications of foreign finance or influence in a series of attacks in German cities in the past year.However, they have reacted coolly to a German TV report suggesting suspicious internet searches were carried out in Russia before a deadly attack in Mannheim last year.A 26-year-old Afghan man has admitted a knife attack that targeted anti-Islam activist Michael Stürzenberger and killed a police officer in May last year, days before European elections.A ZDF TV report has now suggested that Russian Google searches days earlier had included "terror attack in Mannheim" and "Michael Stürzenberger stabbed".
Digital intelligence analyst Steven Broschart told the public broadcaster ZDF's Terra X History programme that the searches were highly unusual: "it's pretty unlikely that we're talking about a coincidence here".He spoke of Russian internet searches for webcams in Mannheim's market square before the 31 May attack took place.The broadcaster also highlighted fires inside parcels at a DHL cargo hub in Leipzig which Western security officials blamed on Russia's GRU military intelligence agency.That attack in August 2024 preceded regional elections in Saxony, and the head of domestic intelligence Stephan Joachim Kramer in neighbouring Thuringia told ZDF that "those who deal with this know we've actually been at war for a long time, even if it's not been declared".Police officer killed in Mannheim attackRussian 'test runs' targeted cargo flights to USThe trial of the man accused of carrying out the Mannheim attack, Sulaiman A, has heard how he became fascinated by jihadist group Islamic State and how he had ordered a knife online beforehand.Other German cities have since been hit by attacks, including this year in Aschaffenburg and Munich, ahead of federal elections. The killings coincided with a spike in support for the far-right anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany.Interior ministry officials have not commented on ZDF's report on Russian internet searches four days before the Mannheim attack, other than to say the issue of "possible indications of targeted influence from abroad" was being taken seriously.There were "no clear indications" so far, the spokesman told AFP news agency.Meanwhile, a spokesman for Germany's BND intelligence service voiced scepticism over the analysis of internet searches before last year's Mannheim attack."The results from Google Trends are unsuitable for presented analysis and evaluation methods and cannot be used with validity either," the spokesman told Reuters.The spokesman suggested that the the results were based on samples and searches that were too small, and that VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) that disguised the location of a search would not have been taken into account.Despite the wariness of the intelligence response, former BND employee Gerhard Conrad warned that it would be "naive" not to pursue these leads.Such violent crimes would certainly fit the "toolbox of what we now called hybrid measures, hybrid warfare", he said.The domestic intelligence service warned only last week that Russian spies were using "espionage, sabotage and exertion of influence, including disinformation" to target Germany and the rest of Europe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
US review of Aukus submarine deal ‘understandable'
The Government has played down suggestions the US could scrap a major defence deal with the UK and Australia, saying it was 'understandable' for America to review the project. The US is reported to have launched a review of the Aukus pact, raising fears Donald Trump's administration could pull out if it concluded the deal did not meet its 'America first' agenda. The review is headed by Elbridge Colby, an official at the US defence department who has previously described himself as 'sceptical' of the Aukus partnership. But a UK Government spokesperson sought to play down the prospect of an American withdrawal, saying Aukus was 'one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades'. They added: 'It is understandable that a new administration would want to review its approach to such a major partnership, just as the UK did last year. 'The UK will continue to work closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which Aukus presents for our three nations.' Announced in 2021, Aukus involves the three nations building a new generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines and cooperating in other areas of advanced defence technology. The deal will also see Australia buy three Virginia-class submarines from the US ahead of the new vessels being built. That provision has led some in Washington, including Mr Colby, to question the deal on the grounds that the US may need those submarines if it finds itself in a war with China over Taiwan. But last month, the new US ambassador to London used his first major speech in the job to back Aukus. Warren Stephens told an audience in Parliament, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, that the US was 'proud to stand alongside Britain and Australia, two of our closest allies, as we deepen our collaboration to respond to a changing world'. The Liberal Democrats said the US' decision to launch a review of Aukus had 'thrown another grenade into our security partnership' and urged Sir Keir to meet the Australian prime minister to 'develop contingency plans' should America withdraw from the partnership. Helen Maguire, the party's defence spokeswoman, said: 'Even in the face of an imperial Putin and the rising threat posed by China, this White House simply can't be relied upon to support our collective defence. 'Our national security demands that we ramp up talks with our Commonwealth friends and work to plug the gap that the US is threatening to leave in European and global security.'
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Israel is deporting 6 more activists detained on Gaza aid boat, rights group says
Israel is deporting six more activists who were detained when it seized an aid boat bound for the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, according to the rights group representing them. The six include Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament who Israel had previously barred from entering Israel and the Palestinian territories, citing her support for boycotts of the country. They were among 12 passengers, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, aboard the Madleen, a boat that sought to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid. Israel seized the vessel early Monday and deported Thunberg and three others the following day. The last two activists are expected to be deported on Friday, according to Adalah, a local human rights group representing them. It said the activists were subjected to 'mistreatment, punitive measures, and aggressive treatment, and two volunteers were held for some period of time in solitary confinement.' Israeli authorities declined to comment on their treatment. Israel says it treats detainees in a lawful manner and investigates any allegations of abuse. Israel portrayed the voyage as a media spectacle, dubbing it the 'selfie yacht." It says the blockade, which it has imposed in various forms along with Egypt since Hamas seized power in 2007, is needed to prevent the militant group from importing arms. Critics view it as collective punishment of Gaza's roughly 2 million Palestinians. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said those activists who signed deportation documents would be deported immediately while those who refused would be brought before a judicial authority to authorize their deportation in keeping with Israeli law. The activists have protested that they had no intention of entering Israel and were brought there against their will. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the journey, said it was aimed at protesting Israel's blockade of Gaza and ongoing military campaign there, which experts say has pushed the territory to the brink of famine more than 20 months into the Israel-Hamas war. ___
Glasgow Times
19 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Three killed in Ukraine as Russia continues drones offensive
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia launched a barrage of 63 drones and decoys at Ukraine overnight. It said that air defences destroyed 28 drones while another 21 were jammed. Ukraine's police said two people were killed and six were injured over the past 24 hours in the eastern Donetsk region, the focus of the Russian offensive. One person was killed and 14 others were also injured in the southern Kherson region, which is partly occupied by Russian forces, police said. A rescue worker evacuates a woman from a building which was damaged by a Russian strike in Kharkiv (Ukrainian emergency services via AP/PA) The head of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said 15 people, including four children, were injured by Russian drone attacks overnight. Kharkiv city mayor Ihor Terekhov said Russian drones targeted residential districts, educational facilities, nurseries and other civilian infrastructure. 'Kharkiv is holding on. People are alive. And that is the most important thing,' Mr Terekhov said. The Russian military has launched waves of drones and missiles in recent days, with a record bombardment of almost 500 drones on Monday and a wave of 315 drones and seven missiles overnight on Tuesday. The recent escalation in aerial attacks has come alongside a renewed Russian battlefield push along eastern and north-eastern parts of the 600-mile front line. While Russian missile and drone barrage have struck regions all across Ukraine, regions along the front line have faced daily Russian attacks with short-range exploding drones and glide bombs. Ukraine hit back with drone raids, with Russia's defence ministry saying air defences downed 52 Ukrainian drones early on Thursday, including 41 over the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine. Rescue workers put out a fire of a building which was damaged by a Russian strike in Kharkiv (Ukrainian emergency services via AP/PA) Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said three people were injured by Ukrainian attacks. The attacks have continued despite discussions of a potential ceasefire in the war. During their June 2 talks in Istanbul, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators traded memorandums containing sharply divergent conditions that both sides see as non-starters, making any quick deal unlikely. Speaking at a meeting of leaders of south-east European countries in Odesa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union to toughen its latest package of sanctions against Russia. He argued that lowering the cap on the price of Russian oil from 60 US dollars (£44) to 45 dollars (£33) as the bloc has proposed is not enough. German defence minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on Thursday on an unannounced visit, noting that the stepped-up Russian attacks on Ukraine send a message from Moscow that it has 'no interest in a peaceful solution at present', according to German news agency dpa. Pistorius said his visit underlines that the new German government continues to stand by Ukraine. 'Of course this will also be about how the support of Germany and other Europeans will look in future – what we can do, for example, in the area of industrial co-operation, but also other support,' he said.
