“Dr Hans Jakob Schindler, terrorism expert and head of the Counter Extremism Project, told Euronews that these "agents" are hired for a single purpose, which means they have little understanding of the structures of Russian intelligence in Germany or across Europe. They operate not only in Germany but throughout the continent. For foreign actors, including Russia, their main advantage is anonymity. Most are identified via Russia-friendly Telegram channels, where they have expressed pro-Russian views. According to Schindler, these agents – typically male and with lower levels of formal education – are then contacted and recruited.”