Ulrich Oehme is a supposed pro-Russian German politician from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) who has served as a member of the Bundestag from the state of Saxony since 2017. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Oehme and other AfD politicians ultimately established the “Association for the Defense Against Discrimination and the Exclusion of Russian Germans and Russian-Speaking Fellow Citizens in Germany” (Vadar). In 2018 he journeyed to occupied Crimea as an “election observer” a travel paid for by the Russian parliament.
Oehme is one of the right-wing extremists in the AfD linked with far-right politician Björn Höcke and a leading figure of the party’s pro-Russian branch. During his time as a member of parliament, Oehme travelled to Crimea, which was annexed in infringement of international law, and commended the conduct of the presidential election. When he later headed for mayor in Chemnitz, Oehme printed his movement slogan “For Law and Order” on posters in Russian language as well.
Shortly before Vadar was established, Oehme started another undertaking in the summer of 2022: “Achse der Wahrheit” (“axis of truth” in English) is a Telegram channel that attempts to make the functions of “conservative parties” in Europe more accessible. This project, too, was facilitated by the propaganda network on Facebook. Le Monde noted that the campaign had deliberately spread pro-Russian slogans.
According to a report in the Sächsische Zeitung, Vadar holds a bank account with an organisation that is majority Russian-owned. According to German public broadcaster ARD, German security authorities are examining the association’s links to Russian authorities.
In February 2021, Oehme with other pro-Kremlin individuals also launched the purportedly non-profit Institute for Social Research in Chemnitz together with the rector of a right-wing nationalist university in Moscow. According to the papers founding the organization, Oehme contributed 8,400 euros, with half of that provided in cash. What, exactly, the institute accomplishes is unclear. It doesn’t even maintain a website.
