Bundeswehr Raises Threat Level, Warns of Potential Russian Attacks

The German public broadcaster WDR and newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on Wednesday that the Bundeswehr, Germany’s military, has raised its threat level to “Erheblich (Serious),” its second-highest level. It warns that not only could military facilities be subjected to Russian-inspired sabotage attacks, but serving personnel could face attacks at home.

According to a classified internal security report, seen by the media outlets, the German military has revised its previous threat assessments which focused on locations where Ukrainian troops were training or logistics bases forwarding weapons and equipment to Kyiv.

The catalyst for the change was the discovery of an explosive-carrying drone in a wooded area close to the Wunstorf air base in mid-September, as previously reported, which followed shortly after similar devices were intercepted in a planned August attack on Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig/Halle airport, which Germany attributed to Russia after an investigation.

Berlin’s security reassessment of the risk concluded that the Wunstorf drone was likely to have been intended to target military aircraft rather than civilian cargo planes; the air base is home to Germany’s strategic Airbus A400M transport fleet part of NATO’s strategic airlift capabilities.

Technical analysis of the Wunstorf drone by Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office highlighted many similarities to those recovered in Leipzig which contained around 1.8 kilograms (4 pounds) of high explosives in tin cans attached to the drones. The investigators assessed that the drone had pre-dated the earlier discovery by as much as two years.

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In addition to these specific incidents, suspicious drone incursions occurred over sites associated with Germany’s air defense systems in January, and Patriot maintenance facilities in August, which are also suspected to have been instigated by Russian agents.

The Bundeswehr assessment said: “These incidents underline that Russia has, for some time, almost certainly possessed the capability and very likely now also the increased intention to take action against forces and facilities of the German Armed Forces as well as partners based in Germany, including Ukraine.”

Russia “has crossed a red line”

The assessment also said that the threat from Russian sabotage can no longer be ignored and that a “short-term escalation of the situation is to be expected, and actions are anticipated in the near future.”

It concluded that the use of drones as potentially lethal weapons by Moscow’s agents had crossed a “red line,” and was intended to weaken political and public support for Ukraine in Germany and to disrupt equipment deliveries and training for Ukraine.

WDR cited an Operational Command spokesperson who said as a result of raising the threat level, the German military is strengthening its protective measures at its installations to safeguard personnel and facilities.

Russia has consistently denied involvement in sabotage and hybrid attacks in Europe, and has accused Germany of staging these incidents to engender anti-Russian sentiment. Moscow’s ambassador to Berlin dismissed Germany’s allegations over Leipzig as “absurd” and described the incident as a “provocation.”