Germany faces an escalating "shadow war" involving sabotage, cyberattacks and assassination plots, officials warned, amid concerns over Russian operations targeting European countries.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned on Monday that Germany faced a "shadow war" more far-reaching than the Cold War, and said the threat underscored the need to strengthen the country's BfV domestic intelligence agency.
"The shadow war we are witnessing today has an objective that extends far beyond anything seen during the Cold War," Dobrindt said at a BfV press conference in Berlin.
Officials from many Western countries have warned for months that Russia is mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine.
Russia says such accusations are baseless and the result of anti-Russian hysteria.
"Its clear aim is to destabilize us – to destabilize us fundamentally," Dobrindt said, without directly naming Russia.
His comments echo warnings by Germany's head of foreign intelligence, the BND, this month that Germany was at risk of entering a violent conflict with Moscow.
The security service of Germany's neighbor, the Czech Republic, said on Monday that Russia could resort to riskier and more significant operations in NATO member states supporting Ukraine within months.
Alleged Russian drone attack drives calls to expand German intelligence powers
Calls to expand Germany's intelligence powers have gained urgency since a failed attack involving an explosives-laden drone at a German airport in August, which authorities blamed on Russia.
The head of BfV said on Monday that Russia employed virtually every tool in its hybrid operations, ranging from disinformation campaigns, information manipulation and sabotage to assassination plots prepared in Germany.
"This is a fact we must deal with," said BfV President Sinan Selen.
Asked about the Leipzig drone incident, which the Kremlin has dismissed as fabricated, Selen said that he expected more actions of a similar nature.
The government's reform bill, which would give intelligence services broader powers, including the ability to take active defensive measures, is currently being examined by parliamentary committees after a first reading in September.
Germany seeks to strengthen intelligence capabilities amid growing threats
"Germany cannot be a second- or third-rate player when it comes to developing services and capabilities; we must remain at the forefront, given the challenges we face," Dobrindt said.
Created after World War Two, when memories of Nazi rule were still fresh, the German services have traditionally been more constrained than those of allies such as France, Britain, or the US.