Germany Fears Possible Russian Attacks on Military Bases, Aircraft

Germany’s armed forces have raised their assessment of the threat of Russian sabotage against military personnel and facilities to “significant”, the second-highest level on their internal threat scale, amid concerns over suspected drone operations and surveillance activities across the country.

The reassessment was disclosed on Wednesday, October 21, following reports by German broadcasters WDR and the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which obtained an internal security assessment by the Bundeswehr.

A spokesperson for Germany’s Defence Ministry confirmed the heightened assessment, saying the military faced a significant sabotage threat overall.

According to the report, the review was triggered partly by the discovery in mid-September of a crashed drone carrying a container of high explosives near Wunstorf air base in Lower Saxony. Investigators reportedly believe the device may have been intended to target German military aircraft.

The drone was said to resemble one involved in an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August. German authorities had linked that incident to Russia, while Moscow has denied involvement in sabotage operations and similar attacks across Europe.

The military’s internal assessment reportedly warned that the use of weaponised drones represented a serious escalation, raising concerns that German forces and installations could become direct targets rather than being indirectly affected by attacks against other facilities.

The assessment also pointed to suspected reconnaissance activities at sensitive locations, including drone overflights near Germany’s Arrow 3 missile defence installation in Saxony-Anhalt and the discovery of a concealed camera monitoring a strategically important railway station in Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia.

German intelligence officials reportedly expect the security situation to deteriorate in the short term, with further hostile activities considered possible in the coming weeks.

In response, the Defence Ministry said preventive security measures were being strengthened according to the risks facing individual installations. These measures could include increased guard patrols, infrared cameras and improved surveillance systems around military facilities.

The warning comes amid growing concern among German officials over what they describe as a Russian “shadow war” involving suspected sabotage, espionage, cyber operations and disinformation.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently called for stronger intelligence capabilities, arguing that the country faced a growing threat from covert operations.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz also warned on Wednesday that Russian disinformation and hybrid attacks posed a major danger to Germany’s political and social order, urging the public not to underestimate the threat.

Germany has emerged as a key supporter of Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, providing military assistance and supporting European efforts to strengthen Kyiv’s defence capabilities.

The heightened security assessment underscores concerns that covert operations targeting military infrastructure could undermine Germany’s security and its continued support for Ukraine.

However, Russia has consistently rejected allegations that it is responsible for sabotage and hybrid attacks in Europe.