The Scandal of Russian Influence

The Scandal of Russian Influence, the AfD, the Role of Intelligence Agencies, an Informant, and Blood and Honour.

How Russia, with the Help of the Far Right, Becomes a Global Threat.

Investigations by the BBC and various investigative journalists have uncovered that the British domestic intelligence agency MI5 lied in court to protect a violent neo-Nazi informant. The scandal not only raises questions about the integrity of the British intelligence service but also about the potential networking of international far-right groups, including those associated with AfD politicians such as Maximilian Krah and his confidant Oleg Voloshin.

At the heart of the revelations is a far-right MI5 informant known as "X," who not only maintained close contacts with neo-Nazi circles, particularly with Blood and Honour, but also committed serious acts of violence.

X used his role as an MI5 informant to control his ex-partner, abuse her, and attack her with a machete.
When everything threatened to come to light, MI5 aggressively tried to block the publication of the story, suddenly arguing in a 2022 court case that it could neither confirm nor deny whether X was an informant.

What makes this case particularly explosive? The MI5 informant was deeply embedded in far-right structures. And this is precisely where there are potential overlaps with other actors of the European right.

Blood and Honour & international neo-Nazi networks cooperated with Russian networks. Russia plays an ambiguous role: While it officially banned Blood and Honour, Russian actors used the movement to destabilize Western democracies. Krah and Voloshin are known to have close ties to Russian circles that deliberately influence far-right groups.

An International Network of Influence

A political scandal of international proportions is shaking European politics and intelligence structures. At the center is the Ukrainian Oleg Voloshin, against whom British law enforcement authorities have filed charges of bribery and pro-Russian influence. Particularly explosive: Voloshin maintained close relationships for years with leading politicians of the German AfD, especially with Maximilian Krah and Petr Bystron.

The revelations raise questions about the entanglement of the AfD in Russian influence operations – while at the same time, a scandal surrounding the British intelligence service MI5 comes to light, which allegedly protected a violent neo-Nazi informant who operated between both groups.

British investigators have filed charges against Oleg Voloshin, who is accused of playing a central role in a pro-Russian influence operation. He is alleged to have bribed former British MEP Nathan Gill during his term until 2020 to promote pro-Russian narratives in European institutions. The London Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed the charges against Gill and Voloshin, who is currently believed to be in Belarus.

Voloshin is considered a close confidant of the pro-Russian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, an important political ally of Vladimir Putin. His connection to the AfD has been known for years: Maximilian Krah called him an "old friend." As early as 2021, Voloshin met with Krah, Bystron, and other AfD politicians in Ukraine to discuss pro-Russian strategies. Even after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the contact continued – only in November 2024 did Krah secretly travel to Russia to meet Voloshin and his wife.

Simultaneously, investigations are ongoing against Polish agent Janusz Niedźwiecki, who was accredited through Krah's office in the EU Parliament and is accused of espionage. Niedźwiecki played a key role in financing pro-Russian PR campaigns and organizing meetings between European politicians and pro-Russian actors. Former British MEP Gill is said to have been funded through these networks to spread pro-Russian propaganda – a pattern that is repeated in the AfD.

Cash Found During FBI Check: During a trip to the USA in December 2023, Krah carried a large amount of cash, which was noticed during an FBI check. Krah explained that it was around 3,000 euros, which he had with him as a "cash reserve" because he had forgotten his wallet in Brussels.

Investigations into Possible Payments: The Czech intelligence service is reported to have indications that European politicians, including members of the AfD, received payments from pro-Russian platforms such as "Voice of Europe." These payments may have been intended to promote pro-Russian positions in Europe.

These incidents and connections alone raise serious questions about the relationships of Maximilian Krah with pro-Russian networks and the possible influence on political decisions in Europe.

The Role of the AfD: Lobbying for Moscow?

Both Maximilian Krah and Petr Bystron deny receiving money from Russia. However, their close ties to Voloshin and Medvedchuk are undeniable.

The Munich Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating Bystron on suspicion of bribery and money laundering. However, the investigation is currently suspended until his parliamentary immunity is lifted. Simultaneously, the Dresden Public Prosecutor's Office is examining whether there is an initial suspicion against Krah. The allegations involve financial payments that allegedly flowed through the pro-Russian platform "Voice of Europe." This platform is now under EU sanctions because it is suspected of being used to influence European politicians.

Particularly alarming are the parallels between the Gill case and the AfD: Both participated in events organized by Voloshin and Medvedchuk, both spread pro-Russian narratives, and both were allegedly financed to promote Moscow's political agenda in Europe. The British investigations could, therefore, have consequences for Germany as well.

An Intelligence Scandal in Britain: MI5 and the Neo-Nazi Informant

In parallel with these developments, a scandal is shaking the British intelligence agency MI5. An investigative report revealed that the agency had protected and shielded a violent neo-Nazi informant for years. The man, known as "X," was listed as an MI5 agent and used his position to commit serious violent crimes, including abuse and an attack with a machete on his ex-partner. MI5 attempted to block the investigation and even lied in court about his role.

The magnitude of the scandal is enormous:

MI5 claimed in court that it could not confirm the identity of "X" – despite internal documents showing that the agency had long since disclosed his role and even documented financial transactions between various groups. Even an officer casually chatted about X’s identity.

MI5 Chief Sir Ken McCallum personally tried to prevent the BBC from publishing the revelations.

MI5 was ultimately forced to issue an "unreserved apology" to the British judiciary and admit that the agency had repeatedly lied.

The revelations raise serious questions about how intelligence agencies deal with far-right structures. Particularly explosive: the MI5 informant was deeply embedded in the neo-Nazi network "Blood & Honour" – an organization that has cooperated with international far-right networks for years, with indications that Russia is using such groups to exert influence on Western democracies. Of course, in exchange for money. Krah and Voloshin also maintain close contacts with pro-Russian actors who specifically support far-right groups in Europe.

International Dimension: Blood & Honour and Russian Influence

The British government recently implemented a far-reaching financial sanctions program against "Blood & Honour," applying the Anti-Terrorism Sanctions Act to a far-right group for the first time. All assets of the organization were frozen.

This move underscores that Western governments are increasingly cracking down on far-right networks that were often ignored or even covertly supported in the past. However, the case of the MI5 informant shows that intelligence agencies themselves are sometimes part of the problem.

Germany banned "Blood & Honour" in 2000, yet there are indications of a continuing underground structure.

The MI5 scandal now raises the question of whether other intelligence agencies also have informants in such groups – and whether, like MI5, they not only enabled far-right structures but also opened the door to Russian influence.

A Deep Pattern of Influence

The current revelations reveal a troubling pattern:

Russian influence operations deliberately use Western politicians to spread pro-Russian narratives.

The AfD is at the center of a corruption scandal that strikingly mirrors the British revelations about bought lawmakers. In recent years, alarming connections have emerged between the far-right scene, particularly the group "Blood & Honour," the political party Alternative for Germany (AfD), and pro-Russian propaganda networks like "Voice of Europe." These networks appear to aim at promoting far-right ideologies and spreading pro-Russian narratives in Europe.

And then there is more:
Connections Between AfD and "Blood & Honour"

In December 2024, two AfD politicians attended an event near Zurich organized by the Swiss neo-Nazi group "Junge Tat." Also present were members of "Blood & Honour," an international neo-Nazi network. This participation raises questions about the AfD's proximity to violent far-right groups.

The MI5 scandal reveals that Western intelligence agencies use far-right structures for their own purposes – and in doing so, not only undermine their own credibility but also inadvertently serve as a bridge between far-right groups and Russia's networks.

The coming weeks may bring further revelations. While the British judiciary proceeds against Voloshin and Gill, it remains to be seen how the German judiciary will respond to the allegations against AfD politicians. But since July 2024, the investigation against Bystron has been on hold – because an application in the European Parliament is stalled. Now there seems to be movement in the case.

One thing is certain: Russia's influence in Europe extends further than previously thought – and Western democracies are deeply entangled in the web of influence, where Blood & Honour has played a significant role, just like the music when Alice Weidel was in Budapest in February 2025, and the music was "Blood & Honour" at that time, just after the Day of Honor.