In the run-up to the February 2025 Bundestag election, German security services identified a sabotage campaign targeting at least 270 vehicles across multiple federal states, including Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, and Bavaria. Saboteurs clogged car exhaust pipes with expanding foam and left stickers featuring German Economy Minister Robert Habeck with the slogan "Be greener!" to provoke resentment against the Green party. Initial suspicions toward radical climate activists shifted after police detained three suspects from southern Germany linked via a Russian instigator. Evidence seized included foam cans, phones, and laptops. One suspect testified to being directed via the messaging app Viber by a Russian mastermind who paid €100 per damaged car and requested photographic proof. The sabotage is seen as part of Russia's hybrid warfare to manipulate the German election, notably targeting the Greens for their pro-Ukraine stance and opposition to dependence on Russia. German politicians including Greens’ Franziska Brantner and SPD's Sebastian Hartmann demanded stronger protection of critical infrastructure and improved interagency cooperation. The Ulm public prosecutor confirmed investigations into four accused individuals responsible for 123 damaged vehicles causing roughly €6000 in damages. Security experts warn Russian actors increasingly recruit local, sometimes small-time criminals to conduct sabotage and espionage ahead of the election.

In the run-up to the February 2025 Bundestag election, German security services identified a sabotage campaign targeting at least 270 vehicles across multiple federal states, including Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, and Bavaria. Saboteurs clogged car exhaust pipes with expanding foam and left stickers featuring German Economy Minister Robert Habeck with the slogan "Be greener!" to provoke resentment against the Green party. Initial suspicions toward radical climate activists shifted after police detained three suspects from southern Germany linked via a Russian instigator. Evidence seized included foam cans, phones, and laptops. One suspect testified to being directed via the messaging app Viber by a Russian mastermind who paid €100 per damaged car and requested photographic proof. The sabotage is seen as part of Russia's hybrid warfare to manipulate the German election, notably targeting the Greens for their pro-Ukraine stance and opposition to dependence on Russia. German politicians including Greens’ Franziska Brantner and SPD's Sebastian Hartmann demanded stronger protection of critical infrastructure and improved interagency cooperation. The Ulm public prosecutor confirmed investigations into four accused individuals responsible for 123 damaged vehicles causing roughly €6000 in damages. Security experts warn Russian actors increasingly recruit local, sometimes small-time criminals to conduct sabotage and espionage ahead of the election.