German intelligence agencies, in extensive investigations, have reportedly failed to come up with clear evidence for a Russian disinformation campaign against the federal government.

Despite this result, the Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst, BND) and the Federal Office for Constitutional Protection (BfV) do not see any reason for an all-clear, reported Süddeutsche Zeitung, WDR and NDR on Monday.

The media relied on the results of almost a year’s investigation. “We have not found any smoking gun,” according to the media in government circles, about the attempt to find striking evidence of Russia’s political interference. Such a document would have been presented by the government to warn Russia about this type of action.

Originally the secret services had planned to at least partially publish the investigation, which was categorized as a secret classified, the media reported. However, in the face of missing evidence, publication is not considered useful. This would have put a further strain on the already tense relationship with Russia.

However, the chancellor’s office ordered the facts to be further investigated: the report of the special analysis of “Sputnik” by BfV and the BND working group “psychological operations” is, from the government’s point of view, not an acquittal the media report.

Yet the secret service report documents a “more confrontational course” between Russia and Germany since 2014 and calls the reporting of Russian media and their German offshoot “hostile.”…