German journalist pretends to be a 'vatnitsa' and infiltrates Russian network

German journalist Angelique Geray conducted an experiment: for several months, she posed as a fan of the Russian authorities on Telegram to study the methods of recruiting influence agents in Germany. She created a fake channel under the name of activist 'Katya', attracted curators, and received assignments — from everyday errands to surveillance of politicians and defense facilities. After the exposure, the journalist received threats.

German journalist Angelique Geray carried out a daring experiment: for several months, she posed as an ardent fan of the Russian authorities, creating a fake Telegram channel under the name of the virtual activist 'Katya'. By publishing content with Russian symbols, she quickly attracted the attention of curators. The initial assignments were of a domestic nature — delivering parcels, buying SIM cards, photographing strategic sites. Over time, the tasks became more complex: performers were involved in surveillance of employees of non-profit organizations, representatives of the CDU party, and defense industry facilities. Coordination was conducted through encrypted chats. German politician Jovica Jović from the pro-Russian 'Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht' (BSW) came into the project's orbit, who advised 'Katya' and offered to shoot a video dancing on the NATO flag. After the experiment was exposed, the journalist received direct threats of physical violence.