"Russia has been a close ally of Syria and has leases on two military bases in the country, giving it a strategic foothold in the Middle East.

"It hits them hard," Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior advisor to the Counter Extremism Project, said of Russia.

He added: "Syria has been their most reliable Arab ally.""

"'Russia could easily suffer losses from indiscriminate Houthi actions in the Red Sea. But it's happy to run that risk for what it sees as bigger gains from stoking conflict,' said Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project and former Ambassador of the UK to Yemen."

CEP affiliated researcher Kacper Rekawek: "This process began over ten years ago and specifically after the 2012 protests in Moscow, when Russians gathered at Bolotnaya Square to express their disagreement with Putin’s third term as president. Having seen the protesters, who in large numbers were representatives of the urban middle class, the Russian authorities came to the conclusion that it was the liberals who were the main threat to the regime. Although these enemies were identified internally, the Kremlin decided to attack them abroad as well."

“... Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) sees three groups that could be considered suspects: in the broadest sense, Russian and Russian-supported actors, radical Islamists or left-wing extremists. He currently considers one suspicion to be particularly likely: "The first thing I would check is whether it was a Russian or Russian-supported attack attempt or whether it was at least initiated by Russia," said Schindler in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA. There is much to suggest a Russian attack attempt: Germany has been the focus of Russian attackers since 2022 at the latest, if not since the Minsk Agreement in 2015.”

"... Hans-Jakob Schindler, for example, a terrorism expert from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), sees three groups as possible suspects: Russian or Russian-backed actors, radical Islamists or left-wing extremists. He considers one suspicion to be particularly likely: "The first thing I would check is whether it was a Russian or Russian-backed attack attempt or whether it was at least Russian-initiated," said Schindler in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA . There is much to support this theory. Germany has been the focus of Russian attackers since 2022 at the latest, if not since the Minsk Agreement in 2015. And the NATO base in Geilenkirchen in particular plays a special role in the context of the Ukraine war: AWACS aircraft are stationed there, which can be used to observe movements on NATO's eastern flank."

"The war in Ukraine is not going according to Russia's interests , and Putin's regime is becoming increasingly desperate. Just think of the suspected Russian murder plot against Rheinmetall boss Armin Papperger that was recently uncovered. […] Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler , 51, is Senior Director at the Counter Extremism Project (CEP). This non-partisan, international organization aims to counter extremist ideologies and strengthen pluralist-democratic forces."

"The war in Ukraine is not going according to Russia's interests , and Putin's regime is becoming increasingly desperate. Just think of the suspected Russian murder plot against Rheinmetall boss Armin Papperger that was recently uncovered. […] Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler , 51, is Senior Director at the Counter Extremism Project (CEP). This non-partisan, international organization aims to counter extremist ideologies and strengthen pluralist-democratic forces."

"An exchange that took place on Turkish soil. […] Germany's willingness – according to DW – to release Vadim Krashikov (a former Russian security service (FSB) officer convicted of murdering a Chechen ex-Georgian officer in Berlin in 2019) and Turkey's role as a mediator were instrumental in made a historic prisoner swap between Russia and the West possible this week, according to Hans-Jakob Schindler, a German counter-extremism expert and senior director of the nonprofit Counter Extremism Project."

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler quoted: "The Russian actions come as no surprise to terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler. The aim of such a disinformation campaign is to spread uncertainty, he explained to ZDFheute."

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed: "According to Hans-Jakob Schindler, extremism and terror expert, the aim of Russian disinformation campaigns is to deepen divisions within societies - and not just to create a pro-Russian image. He also stresses: 'Anyone who is seen as an enemy cannot act as a mediator.'"