German Special Forces Prepare for Conflict with Russia

Moscow (ANTARA) – Germany is preparing its special forces for a potential conflict with Russia, the head of the German Special Forces Command, Andreas Kuhne, has said.

“We are deliberately preparing for a confrontation with Russia,” Kuhne told the Bild newspaper on Monday (26 October).

He said German special forces are now being trained to conduct long-term operations. Previously, their operations lasted around three days, after which personnel returned to base.

Kuhne said the forces are now being prepared for the possibility that operations in the initial phase of a conflict may have no fixed end date.

The report said the German Special Forces Command has around 1,500 personnel. However, only a third are special forces soldiers, while the remainder perform administrative duties.

According to Kuhne, the command is currently staffed at only 70–80 per cent of its required strength.

The report also said the command had previously been involved in a number of scandals. These included the use of Nazi salutes, missing ammunition, and the discovery of a cache of weapons and explosives held by one of its personnel.

In 2020, one company within the unit was disbanded.