Many cars damaged

Radical climate activists? Trail leads to Russia

Climate activists are said to have sprayed construction foam into numerous exhaust pipes - but investigations into the incidents now paint a different picture.

(Bild: APA/dpa/Benjamin Westhoff)

Radical climate activists were actually suspected of having damaged hundreds of cars in Germany. But now there has been a surprising twist in the case - with an explosive lead to Russian "throwaway agents".

According to research by the German magazine "Spiegel", a series of damage to cars in several German federal states is not the work of radical climate activists, but was carried out by Russian clients. Unknown persons had rendered vehicles unusable with assembly foam and affixed stickers with the slogan "Be greener!" and a picture of Economics Minister Robert Habeck.

The incidents were apparently intended to stir up outrage and cause division in society during the federal election campaign.

Police stop suspects - but let them move on
The series of sabotages came to light when a police patrol stopped a suspicious van in Schönefeld near Berlin in December 2024. The occupants - three young men with Serbian, Bosnian and German identity papers - initially went unnoticed.

It only became known the next morning that 43 cars in the surrounding area had been immobilized during the night. More than 270 vehicles were damaged across Germany, particularly in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

Thousands of euros for propaganda against the Greens?
According to the security authorities, the trail of the saboteurs leads to Russia. The suspected perpetrators are said to have been recruited via a chat service to sabotage German cars with assembly foam and lay false tracks to militant climate activists. In return, they are said to have received several thousand euros. The campaign was apparently designed to stir up public opinion against the Greens and their candidate for chancellor Habeck.

If the allegations are confirmed, this would substantiate the fears of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution that Russia is deliberately interfering in the Bundestag election campaign. There have already been warnings in the past that foreign powers could try to influence the political mood in Germany through disinformation and targeted actions.

"Disposable agents" as the Kremlin's new strategy?
Western intelligence services are observing that Moscow is increasingly relying on amateurs and petty criminals to carry out covert actions. These so-called "low-level agents" are to be used for acts of sabotage or disinformation campaigns in return for payment. A similar case recently came to light in Paris, where a Moldovan couple spray-painted Stars of David on the walls of houses to stir up anti-Semitic tensions.

In Germany, one of the suspected building foam saboteurs has now beaten investigators to the punch. According to "Spiegel", he stated that he had been recruited by a Russian contact via the messenger service "Viber". The perpetrators were supposed to send photos of the tampered vehicles as proof and were promised 100 euros per car. Payment is said to have been made in cash.

Investigation underway - suspects have disappeared
Following the police check in Schönefeld, the investigation was extended to Baden-Württemberg. In Ulm and the surrounding area, officers searched several homes and seized cell phones, laptops and additional cartridges of assembly foam. The public prosecutor's office in Ulm confirmed that investigations are underway against four suspects. In the Ulm area alone, 123 cars are said to have been affected, with total damage amounting to around 6000 euros.

So far, however, no arrests have been made - according to "Spiegel", two of the suspects have since left Germany. The German security authorities are faced with the challenge of whether and how targeted Russian influence can be proven in this form.