Germany Faces Threat of Major War, Government Prepares
Germany is now facing the threat of hybrid warfare attacks from abroad on a daily basis. This warning was delivered by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt following an alleged attempted attack involving an explosives-laden drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
Dobrindt told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that foreign powers deliberately aim to subjugate Germany politically and socially by stoking fear. The newspaper also reported that the government plans to immediately boost Germany’s anti-drone capacity to counter this real threat.
“We are not at war, but we are a daily target of hybrid warfare. Espionage, sabotage, cyber-attacks, or covert operations by foreign powers aimed at destabilising Germany or causing direct harm are a constant reality,” he stressed.
Despite issuing a stark warning, Dobrindt did not name any specific countries suspected of being behind the terror. After the explosives-laden drone was discovered at the eastern German airport on Tuesday, several German lawmakers immediately pointed the finger at Russia. The country has been at war with Ukraine since its full-scale military invasion in 2022. The Russian Embassy in Berlin on Friday swiftly dismissed the Leipzig incident as a fabricated provocation, calling it another example of a string of baseless accusations against the country.
Citing government sources, the Bild newspaper reported that the ministry led by Dobrindt wants to double Germany’s federal anti-drone expert team from 150 to 300 personnel. They also plan to expand the network of related bases from four to eight locations, although the ministry has not yet provided an official response when asked for comment.
Separately, the German armed forces reported on Saturday that two drones were again spotted flying over a military base site in Mechernich, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, on Thursday evening.
In a separate development, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic offered his perspective on the conflict during a German podcast. He argued that Russia’s hybrid warfare against European powers is essentially identical to what Europe has been doing to Russia. Vucic highlighted European powers’ actions in arming Ukraine, imposing economic sanctions on Russia, and providing massive financial support to Kyiv. Nevertheless, he told podcast host and Axel Springer CEO Mathias Dopfner that Ukraine was not the party that started the war. He reminded the public not to be confused in clearly distinguishing between the victim and the actual aggressor. Based on the German text of his comments, the Serbian leader said he does not see the war between Russia and Ukraine ending before next spring due to a reluctance to compromise. “I believe we are at the beginning of a major war,” he stated. Vucic’s comments on the podcast came just after he held a face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week. In that crucial meeting, Vucic publicly pledged to fully support Ukraine’s independence and to continue working to improve bilateral economic relations.