Putin's Bears - The Most Dangerous Hackers in the World

This German documentary examines the operations of elite Russian intelligence hacking units known by codenames such as Fancy Bear, Cozy Bear, and Voodoo Bear. The film explores the destructive capabilities of state-sponsored cyber warfare, detailing how these groups targeted the computer of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015, intervened in the 2016 United States election, and impacted the war in Ukraine. Through interviews with cyberspace experts and prominent German hackers, the production analyzes the methods used by these individuals and the nature of the threat they pose.

The project was produced by SWR, Funk, and the team behind the YouTube channel Simplicissimus. It was directed and written by Jonas and David. The cast includes narrator Jonas and interviewees such as Linus Neumann, Claudia Haydt, Florian Flade, Hakan Tanriverdi, and Kerstin Zettl-Schabath. Released as a TV movie in February 2024 with a runtime of 64 minutes, the film has a rating of 7.2 on TMDB based on 16 votes.