VIENNA — The German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, have raised their assessment of the Russian sabotage threat to the second-highest level. In the national security context, a sabotage threat refers to the tangible risk of covert actions intended to damage, destroy, or disable critical infrastructure, military bases, equipment, and weapons systems, as well as the potential use of explosive devices and hostile elements to disrupt logistics chains and defense operations.
According to a confidential internal assessment reported on October 21 by public broadcaster WDR and the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, Berlin's armed forces now fear that German military personnel and installations could themselves become targets of attacks on German soil, going beyond mere espionage or surveillance activity.
The report's findings point to a broader and more pervasive risk than security specialists had previously anticipated, having until now focused their attention on Ukrainian troop training facilities, naval bases, and shipyards. The new assessment highlights that vulnerable sites can no longer be geographically contained, foreshadowing a general deterioration in security with possible concrete actions in the short term.
The drone case in Wunstorf and the Leipzig incident
The reassessment of the threat follows the discovery in September of a crashed drone near the Wunstorf air base in northern Germany. A few meters from the aircraft, investigators found a canister containing explosives, likely intended to target military aircraft.
According to analyses by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the drone may have remained hidden near the base for about two years. Its design is entirely similar to that of the explosive-laden drone used in the failed attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport in early August.
The military assessment draws a clear distinction between the two incidents:
-
Leipzig: represented an indirect threat, targeting Ukrainian aircraft.
-
Wunstorf: saw the Bundeswehr itself as the direct target.
Military intelligence assesses Russia's ability to act against German facilities as almost certain and notes that the use of armed drones has crossed a "red line", demonstrating a clear intent to cause physical damage and potentially lethal effects.
Strategic objectives and countermeasures
The German government has officially attributed the foiled attack in Leipzig to Russia. The military assessment links this campaign to two main objectives:
-
Politically: to weaken support for the Ukrainian cause within Germany.
-
Operationally: to hinder deliveries of military equipment and troop training.
A spokesperson for the Comando Operativo confirmed that the risk of sabotage is currently considered "substantial".Consequently, the Bundeswehr is strengthening protective measures at all its installations.
The alert also follows suspicious drone overflights above sites housing the Arrow 3 missile defense system and maintenance centers for Patriot systems.
Moscow's response
Russia has systematically rejected all accusations of involvement in sabotage or hybrid attacks, accusing Berlin of fabricating incidents to fuel anti-Russian sentiment. Russia's ambassador to Germany called the allegations concerning the Leipzig incident "absurd," dismissing it as a "provocation."
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!