Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, the Kremlin has exploited national minorities to achieve its war aims. The Russian-German population, like many others, has been used as an instrument of Moscow’s expansionist policy – and not only on the battlefield. The Russian-German diaspora is also used as a tool of hybrid influence to promote Kremlin propaganda narratives. What is striking is that even in 2022-2023, functionaries within the German diaspora were