Posted on Jan 30, 2023
Germany was a soft target for Russian spies. That's changing fast.
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A widening investigation into alleged Russian spying inside Germany’s state intelligence service, the BND, has set off alarm bells in Western capitals and prompted calls for a major overhaul of the agency to shore up its defenses against Russian espionage.
Coming at a crucial moment in the war in Ukraine when the United States and its allies are sharing intelligence with Kyiv, the case has raised questions about how much potential damage may have been inflicted by a senior employee of the German spy service who allegedly passed secrets to Russia.
A vital partner in the Western effort to counter the Kremlin in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, Germany has long proven a soft target for Russian spies, who allegedly orchestrated the 2019 murder of one of Moscow's opponents in the heart of Berlin.
Coming at a crucial moment in the war in Ukraine when the United States and its allies are sharing intelligence with Kyiv, the case has raised questions about how much potential damage may have been inflicted by a senior employee of the German spy service who allegedly passed secrets to Russia.
A vital partner in the Western effort to counter the Kremlin in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, Germany has long proven a soft target for Russian spies, who allegedly orchestrated the 2019 murder of one of Moscow's opponents in the heart of Berlin.
Germany was a soft target for Russian spies. That's changing fast.
Posted from nbcnews.com
Russia
Spying
Germany
Intelligence
Espionage
Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Given the country’s Nazi past and the totalitarian legacy of Soviet-controlled East Germany, politicians have been reluctant to empower German security services and have sought tough safeguards for privacy and civil liberties. German leaders, painfully aware that Germany invaded Russia in World War II, have also tried to avoid confrontation and hoped economic ties could reduce tensions. But the invasion of Ukraine has triggered a political sea change, with Berlin now providing artillery and tanks to Kyiv while backing sanctions on Russia’s economy.
Last April, Berlin expelled 40 Russian Embassy employees for allegedly working for Russian intelligence services. In announcing the move, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the employees “have worked every day against our freedom and against the cohesion of our society here in Germany."
Western officials and former U.S. intelligence officers called the expulsions and the current investigation of the BND employee a positive sign that shows Berlin’s attitude has shifted.
“This government is serious about dealing with it,” a Western official familiar with the issue said.
Germany’s intelligence services failed to anticipate that Russia would invade Ukraine, a failure that has yet to be the subject of any publicly released “lessons learned” review. Such a review would show Germany is serious about altering its approach, the Western official said.
“There’s definitely a change. The question is, how far do they take it?”
..."Given the country’s Nazi past and the totalitarian legacy of Soviet-controlled East Germany, politicians have been reluctant to empower German security services and have sought tough safeguards for privacy and civil liberties. German leaders, painfully aware that Germany invaded Russia in World War II, have also tried to avoid confrontation and hoped economic ties could reduce tensions. But the invasion of Ukraine has triggered a political sea change, with Berlin now providing artillery and tanks to Kyiv while backing sanctions on Russia’s economy.
Last April, Berlin expelled 40 Russian Embassy employees for allegedly working for Russian intelligence services. In announcing the move, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the employees “have worked every day against our freedom and against the cohesion of our society here in Germany."
Western officials and former U.S. intelligence officers called the expulsions and the current investigation of the BND employee a positive sign that shows Berlin’s attitude has shifted.
“This government is serious about dealing with it,” a Western official familiar with the issue said.
Germany’s intelligence services failed to anticipate that Russia would invade Ukraine, a failure that has yet to be the subject of any publicly released “lessons learned” review. Such a review would show Germany is serious about altering its approach, the Western official said.
“There’s definitely a change. The question is, how far do they take it?”
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