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Intelligence agency: Russia trying to destabilize Germany

  (Associated Press)
Berlin
Thu, December 8, 2016

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Intelligence agency: Russia trying to destabilize Germany Hans-Georg Maassen, head of Germany's domestic intelligence service (center) listens to Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere (right) and the head of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office, BKA, Holger Muench (left) during a meeting of interior ministers of German federal states, in Saarbruecken, Germany, Wednesday Nov. 30, 2016. (dpa via AP/Oliver Dietze)

G

ermany's domestic intelligence agency says Russia is trying to destabilize German society and the state with propaganda campaigns and cyberattacks.

The blunt warning from Germany's BfV agency comes less than a year before the country is expected to hold a general election.

Agency chief Hans-Georg Maassen said in a statement Thursday that "there is growing evidence for attempts to influence the federal election next year."

His agency has seen an increase in "aggressive cyber-espionage" targeting German politicians.

Russia has been blamed for the hacking and release of Democratic National Committee emails before the US presidential election.

Maassen says "automated opinion forming" with so-called bots could be used to spread fake news on social media.

Russia has in previously strongly denied its involvement in orchestrating cyberattacks on foreign soil.

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