Some German lawmakers and anti-Kremlin activists suspect Russia of inflaming sensitive regional divisions, smearing mainstream political parties and spreading disinformation to help the far right ahead of hotly contested regional elections in Germany. In the former communist eastern states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is topping the polls ahead of votes scheduled for Sept. 6 and 20.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The anti-immigrant, pro-Russian party is aiming to take control of a regional government – which would be a first in Germany for the far right since 1945 – and deal a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s unpopular ruling coalition. In recent months, posts spreading misinformation have been appearing in ever greater numbers across X, TikTok and Bluesky. For lawmakers focused on security issues, the prime suspect is Moscow, which – in its efforts to destabilize Germany – is accused of relying on the AfD. The party denies this, claiming instead that it is the victim of “political” manipulation.Antibot4Navalny, a group of anonymous anti-Kremlin activists named after the late Russian opposition figure, detected a first campaign in June. This involved mocked-up versions of well-known media outlets, including AFP, popping up online that focused on fanning divisions between eastern and western Germany.