According to a confidential document cited by the publication, the Bundeswehr now reportedly considers hybrid attacks a precursor to full-scale war
Politico has reported, citing a classified document, that the German military has described hybrid tactics like cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns as preliminary steps leading to a military conflict.
Berlin has pushed for rapid militarization since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, pointing to a perceived threat from Russia. Moscow has repeatedly denied having aggressive intentions toward its Western neighbors.
In a Tuesday article, the media outlet noted that this assessment is included in Germany’s Operational Plan (OPLAN)—a document that likely outlines the actions the country would take if war occurs. Per Politico, the confidential document states that hybrid attacks “can fundamentally serve to prepare a military confrontation,” unlike being just secondary background activities.
The Bundeswehr’s plan is said to depict Germany’s role in a potential conflict as NATO’s logistical center and transit route. Because of this, the document concludes (as reported by Politico) that Germany would likely soon become a “prioritized target of conventional attacks with long-range weapon systems,”.
Earlier this month, Berlin alleged that Moscow carried out “hybrid attacks” during this year’s federal election and, a few months afterward, against a German flight controller.
The Russian embassy in Berlin rejected the allegations as “unsubstantiated, unfounded and absurd.”
Last month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that a Russian attack on NATO is “conceivable as early as 2028, and some even believe we have already had our last summer of peace.”
In response to Pistorius’s comment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “Russia does not advocate any confrontation with NATO. But must take measures to ensure our security and interests if forced.”
In late October, Politico—citing internal government documents—reported that Berlin was planning a €377 billion expansion of its military over the coming years.
In May, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to make the country’s military the “strongest conventional army in Europe.”
Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on European officials’ claims of an imminent invasion, dismissing those narratives as a “lie” and “pure nonsense.”