German security services launch campaign against Russian recruitment of “disposable agents” amid rise in espionage and sabotage cases

Germany’s security services have launched a campaign titled called “Don’t Become a Disposable Agent” (“Kein Wegwerf-Agent werden”) as part of an effort to warn citizens about attempts by Russian intelligence to recruit collaborators through social media. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has announced that Russian intelligence services use messaging apps and social networks to find individuals who are willing to carry out espionage and sabotage operations in Germany, according to a report by Tagesschau.

The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said crimes are often committed by “disposable agents” — people without intelligence training who work for small sums of money, frequently without knowing who is coordinating their activities, let alone why. As BKA head Holger Münch explained:

“Disposable agents are recruited with small sums of money and perhaps even with the promise of a supposed ‘adventure,’ but anyone who commits crimes on behalf of a foreign intelligence service must expect consequences.”

German intelligence agencies have recorded an increase in espionage and sabotage activity across the country. Energy and transport facilities, military sites, and objects connected with the defense industry are among the main targets. Police are investigating several unusual cases, including arson attacks, drone launches, and the suspicious photography of strategic sites.

In May, authorities uncovered plans to attack cargo transport routes in Germany. As a result, three Ukrainians were arrested on suspicion of spying and carrying out sabotage on behalf of Russia. German naval vessels have also been targeted multiple times, with perpetrators cutting cables, pouring metal shavings into engines, and contaminating drinking water with petroleum products.

Tagesschau, citing sources in German intelligence, writes that Russia has relied more heavily on untrained operatives since its spy networks in Germany have been disrupted by “countermeasures by the German security authorities” implemented since the start of the invasion of Ukraine. After Moscow unleashed its full-scale invasion in 2022, European countries expelled large numbers of suspected Russian agents, with Germany declaring 40 employees of the Russian Embassy in Berlin persona non grata.