**BERLIN**
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) on Wednesday warned of Russian attempts to influence political decision-making in Germany, according to media reports.
"Even after the federal election, especially in the period leading up to the formation of a government, but also beyond, attempts to exert influence through disinformation, cyberattacks, espionage, and sabotage can be expected," claimed a recent analysis published by the domestic intelligence agency.
According to the report cited by the German Press Agency (dpa), "purchased pro-Russian influencers," influence networks, botnets, and fake social media accounts are being used for this purpose.
Before Germany's recent federal election, the secret service claimed that Russia attempted to discredit positions and political actors that were detrimental to its own goals, while also promoting "individuals and parties through positive portrayals in the information space" that advantaged Moscow.
Furthermore, the narrative was spread that the German government supposedly placed support for Ukraine more important than the concerns of its own population.
Germany has repeatedly warned of heightened security threats over Russia’s "hybrid warfare" over its military support for Ukraine.
Russia has long faced accusations from the West of carrying out a hybrid war, which is the use of conventional and unconventional means to create instability in countries. The tactics can include election interference, assassination plots, and attacks on critical infrastructure.
Earlier in December, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said hybrid attacks were being launched from Russia against his country.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is engaging in hybrid attacks, and Germany is particularly in focus. He knows us well; Putin knows how to needle us," Pistorius was quoted as saying.
Defining a hybrid war as a "combination of classic military operations, economic pressure, computer attacks, and propaganda in the media and social networks," he said the attackers' aim was specifically to destabilize societies.
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