Germany's intelligence chief warns of rising risk of violent conflict with Russia
The head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Martin Jäger, told the Bundestag that Germany faces a direct and escalating threat from Russia, including the risk of being drawn into a violent conflict. He described a Russian "shadow war" of hybrid attacks and said the war in Ukraine is entering a "new, very dangerous phase." Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany is preparing for large-scale hybrid attacks, and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is planning a package of countermeasures.
Key points
- BND chief Martin Jäger told the Bundestag that Germany risks being drawn into a violent conflict with Russia.
- Jäger said the confrontation has taken on a "new, more dangerous character" and that Russia is waging a "shadow war" that cannot be classified by traditional military or legal categories.
- He cited the attempted attack on Leipzig Airport, for which Berlin blamed Russia, as an example of the escalating hybrid threat.
- Jäger said no other country currently poses as direct, comprehensive, and concrete a threat to Germany as Russia does.
- The BND sees no signs of a large-scale Russian attack on NATO territory, but said limited-scale Russian military action is possible, including in the Baltic countries.
- Jäger warned that Russia seeks to undermine European political support for Ukraine and that nuclear threats are likely to be heard again.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany is preparing for large-scale hybrid attacks and will respond "quickly and very clearly"; Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is planning measures on drones, infrastructure sabotage, cyberattacks, and espionage.
Why it matters
The head of one of NATO's major intelligence services publicly framed Russia as a direct, comprehensive, and concrete threat to Germany and warned of a qualitatively new phase of confrontation, including possible limited-scale Russian military actions near NATO territory. The fact that the German chancellor and interior minister are already translating that warning into domestic security measures signals that Berlin is treating it as actionable rather than rhetorical.
What happened
Martin Jäger, the head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), used hearings in the Bundestag to warn lawmakers that Germany faces a rising risk of violent conflict with Russia. He said the confrontation has acquired a "new, more dangerous character" and that the war in Ukraine is entering a "new, very dangerous phase" marked by increasingly brutal Russian attacks. Jäger described a Russian "shadow war" of hybrid operations that, in his assessment, cannot be captured by traditional military or legal categories, and pointed to the attempted attack on Leipzig Airport — for which Berlin has held Russia responsible — as a concrete example of that escalation. He added that no other country currently poses as direct, comprehensive, and concrete a threat to Germany as Russia does, and that Moscow's leadership is working to ensure that political decisions against it are not taken in Berlin and other European capitals. Jäger also warned that Russia aims to undermine European political support for Ukraine and that nuclear threats are likely to be heard again. At the same time, he said the BND currently sees no signs of a large-scale Russian attack on NATO territory, though limited-scale Russian military actions remain possible, including in the Baltic countries. Chancellor Friedrich Merz separately said Germany is preparing for large-scale hybrid attacks, including particularly serious ones, and will respond "quickly and very clearly." Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is preparing a package of measures covering protection against drones, sabotage of critical infrastructure, cyberattacks, and the detection of spies and potential terrorists.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage, led by European Pravda and Ukrainian Pravda, presents the story through the lens of German parliamentary testimony and frames it as a senior German security official corroborating Ukrainian concerns about a broader Russian confrontation with Europe. The original reporting is attributed to Die Welt. The emphasis falls on warnings to Germany about what Russia is willing to do — both on Ukrainian soil and through hybrid operations against European states — rather than on the German domestic policy response.
Background
The attempted attack on Leipzig Airport is cited as a concrete recent example of the escalating hybrid threat against Germany, with Berlin attributing responsibility to Russia. The BND's reference to possible limited-scale Russian military action specifically points to the Baltic countries as a potential flashpoint.