Fake news sites, defamatory articles, cyberattacks: Germany’s election campaign fears a rise in interference operations attributed to Russia to influence its legislative ballot.

In recent months, Russia has already been accused of possible interference in elections in Moldova, Georgia and Romania.

Berlin has set up a special task force to “take the necessary protective measures” against disinformation, espionage and sabotage targeting the February 23 elections, announced Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

“Targeted lies and defamation are among the instruments used by Putin’s propaganda apparatus,” the minister stressed in an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ).

While the center-left government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised to help Ukraine “for as long as necessary”, the far-right AfD and radical left-wing BSW parties are opposed to sending arms to Kiev and advocate negotiating peace with Russia.

Experts believe that their message carries weight with part of the population, and that Russia has an interest in amplifying it. This is how Russia participates “in the process of shaping political opinion”, as Bruno Kahl, head of the German intelligence services, put it in November.. . Source