The German Armed Forces have, for the first time, classified the threat of Russian sabotage against their personnel and military facilities as “significant”—the second-highest level on their internal threat assessment scale—reports Reuters.A spokesperson for the German Defence Ministry confirmed this assessment, stating to journalists that the Bundeswehr is facing a significant threat of sabotage. The risk level was re-evaluated following the discovery, in mid-September, of a crashed drone equipped with powerful explosives near the Wunstorf Air Base in Lower Saxony.According to an internal document obtained by the media outlets WDR and Suddeutsche Zeitung, Russia has crossed a previously established “red line” regarding actions against Germany and its military by using explosive-laden drones—an act that could have lethal consequences.The drone discovered near Wunstorf is similar to one found at Leipzig Airport in August, which was also equipped with explosives. Investigators have indicated that the drone found in Leipzig posed a threat to civilian aircraft, whereas in the case of Wunstorf, the targets were military aircraft. Germany has blamed Russia for the incident in Leipzig. Moscow has denied any involvement and consistently rejects accusations of carrying out acts of sabotage or hybrid attacks in Europe.The report also points to suspicions regarding potential Russian intelligence activities in Germany, including drone flights over missile-related facilities in Saxony-Anhalt and the discovery of a concealed surveillance camera recording at the strategically important Minden station in Westphalia. Intelligence services anticipate that the situation will deteriorate in the short term, with further incidents expected in the near future.A representative for the Defence Ministry stated that tailored security solutions are being developed for each specific location; these may range from increased patrolling to enhanced technical security measures, such as infrared cameras and fence monitoring systems.This new assessment comes just one week after German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt remarked that Germany is facing a “shadow war” and called for an expansion of the capabilities of the intelligence services. On the 21st of October, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Russian disinformation and hybrid attacks pose the greatest threat to Germany, and that Germans still underestimate them.
Germany warns of significant risk of Russian-orchestrated sabotage
