{
  "id": 7199085,
  "title": "An undercover German reporter posed as a Putin superfan online. Suspected Russian agents quickly offered her Bitcoin to run local errands.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/an-undercover-german-reporter-posed-as-a-putin-superfan-online",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-13T23:12:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/09/14/an-undercover-german-reporter-posed-as-a-putin-superfan-online-suspected-russian-agents-quickly-offered-her-bitcoin-to-run-local-errands"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "German journalist Angelique Geray posed as a fan of Russian President Vladimir Putin online to investigate covert Russian agents operating in Germany. A documentary on the investigation aired on RTL television in early September. Geray used the alias Katya to create a pro-Russian influencer persona, building a following on social media. She posted videos of herself in a Russian sailor shirt, admiring Putin, and walking with a Russian flag near the Bundestag. Soon, Russian agents contacted her, offering unspecified assignments and payment in Bitcoin. Geray and other RTL journalists observed the recruitment process, with new agents initially given simple tasks before being drawn into more serious operations. Katya's profile caught the attention of Jovica Jović, a prominent pro-Russian figure. Jović invited Katya to meet and spoke about his pro-Russian activities, hinting at Russian intelligence involvement. When Geray revealed her real identity as a reporter, Jović denied involvement in a pro-Russian campaign. Geray received a threatening voicemail after revealing Katya's fake persona. Recent sabotage attempts, including explosives-laden drones targeting a Ukrainian plane, have raised concerns about Russian-backed disinformation in Germany.",
  "summary": "German journalist Angelique Geray posed as a fan of Vladimir Putin on social media while investigating how covert Russian agents operate in Germany. A documentary chronicling the investigation aired on the German television network RTL in early September.",
  "key_points": [
    "German journalist Angelique Geray posed as pro-Putin influencer Katya online.",
    "Russian agents contacted Katya, offering Bitcoin for local errands and assignments.",
    "Katya's profile attracted attention of pro-Russian figure Jovica Jović."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}