Germany Prepares Special Forces for Possible Confrontation with Russia

MOSCOW — Germany is preparing its special forces to face the threat of conflict with Russia, the head of the German Special Forces Command, Andreas Kuhne, said.

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

He said German special forces are now being trained to conduct operations over extended periods. Previously, their operations lasted about three days, after which personnel returned to base.

Kuhne said, however, that the forces are now preparing for the possibility that the opening phase of a conflict could involve operations with no fixed end date.

The report said Germany’s Special Forces Command has around 1,500 personnel. Only a third of them are special forces soldiers, while the rest perform administrative duties.