Ahead of and during the Munich Security Conference, scheduled to take place in Germany on 13–15 February 2026, the intelligence services of the aggressor state, the russian federation, plan to conduct a large-scale hybrid influence operation involving so-called “pacifist” movements ["Friedensbewegung"] across Europe.

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The narratives promoted during this campaign in moscow’s interests aim to whitewash the kremlin’s criminal policies and to undermine Western support for the Ukrainian people in their resistance to russian aggression. These narratives include claims such as: “Support for Ukraine provokes World War III,” “The EU and NATO are aggressors,” and “Russia poses no threat to Europe.”

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The Friedensbewegung presents itself as a “decentralized network of anti-war, pacifist, and anti-militarist initiatives, groups, and coalitions.” The movement was initially formed in the 1950s–1980s to oppose NATO policies and the deployment of nuclear weapons, particularly in West Germany.

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Key individuals involved have been identified by Ukrainian intelligence:

• Elena Kolbasnikova, born 20 March 1975: Organiser of anti-Ukraine protests in Cologne and Düsseldorf, openly supports the Kremlin; received Russian citizenship in 2023.
• Max Schlund (Rostyslav Tesliuk), born 23 April 1985: Kolbasnikova's partner and coordinator of pro-Kremlin rallies in Germany, linked to Russian proxy networks and so-called Russian “Cossack” groups.
• Vyacheslav Zeyswald: The so-called “pro-Russian activist” systematically promotes Moscow’s narratives in Germany and glorifies the criminal policies of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin via his Telegram channel. Zeyswald maintains contacts to Russian intelligence services and far-right organizations in Europe.

After searches by German prosecutors in 2024 over suspected illegal weapons possession, Kolbasnikova and Schlund fled to Russia, further confirming their operational role.

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The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine emphasizes that these individuals — along with other leading figures within Friedensbewegung — employ various methods to disseminate kremlin narratives, often disguising them as so-called “peace initiatives.”

In reality, the core objective of their activities in Germany and across Europe is to rehabilitate russia’s image despite its numerous war crimes in Ukraine, and to promote capitulationist narratives calling for the fulfillment of all of Moscow’s demands under the pretext of achieving “peace at any cost.”

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