German organisations focusing on east Europe are increasingly targeting Russian secret services. "The fact that scientists and their organisations in Germany are besides the mark of Russian services is simply a fresh phenomenon," said German Press Agency Philipp Schmaedeke, president of the Board of the Academic Network for east Europe (Akno). Prior to 2021, this form of repression consisted mainly of opposition activists on emigration and journalists.
Burglary and cyber attacks
"Three times 1 of our partner organisations has been broken into," says Philipp Schmaedeke. 2 cyber attacks have already been carried out on Akno. This Berlin-based organization was able to effectively repel them “because we expected something like this”.
The Academic east Europe Network has provided financial support to 1,200 people from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine over the last 4 years. Schmaedeke assumes there are Russian peculiar forces behind cyber attacks. Of course, he admits that this is hard to prove.
Unwanted organisations
Supported by Akno, scientists from Russia and Belarus had to leave their home countries due to persecution, prohibitions of profession or akin restrictions. Scientists from Ukraine, whom this organization helps, came to Germany due to war, any of the territories occupied by Russia besides due to repression.
In late March a cyber attack was revealed on the German Association of East European Studies (DGO), allegedly headed from Russia. The national Office for Information safety (BSI) and the national Office for Constitution Protection were included in the analysis of this incident.
The DGO was recognised by the Russian authorities as an ‘extremistic organisation’ against which the German abroad Ministry protested. Akno has since December 2023 been regarded in Russia as a “unwanted abroad organization” and has since been banned from acting on its territory.
