The Lower Saxony State Commissioner for the Constitution, Dirk Pejril, has warned of Russian espionage and disinformation. “We need to become more resilient” Pejril said in an interview with the “New Osnabrück Times” (Wednesday edition). “We still have a lot of room for improvement.”
Citizens need to develop a sensitivity to disinformation campaigns. “We are still far removed from that and it’s already causing me great concern” he said.
In recent years, the topics of espionage, sabotage and disinformation had played only a secondary role for the security authorities, according to Pejril. With the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian disinformation campaigns have significantly intensified. “Unfortunately, it seems to be having a significant impact, as I can see from the mood in parts of the population. People are more likely to believe what confirms their existing opinion. That’s why certain Russian narratives are spreading very successfully in the digital world.”
However, the Russian strategy does not only consist of digital disinformation campaigns, Pejril warned. “Hybrid threats occur digitally, but also analogously. Espionage, sabotage, physical attacks on infrastructure, all of this belongs in the repertoire. They are working with covert operations, aiming to achieve specific goals.” This is happening “more frequently than many people think” said the State Commissioner for the Constitution.