According to an internal Bundeswehr security assessment, Germany’s armed forces have for the first time classified the threat of Russian sabotage against their forces and facilities on German territory as “erheblich” (“significant”) — the second-highest level on their internal threat scale.
A spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defence confirmed the information: “We are noting that we face a significant sabotage threat overall for the Bundeswehr.”
The reassessment followed a series of incidents involving drones equipped with explosives:
- In early August 2026, an attempt was detected at Leipzig/Halle Airport to attack cargo aircraft linked to Ukraine using an explosives-laden drone. Germany officially blamed Russia for the incident.
- In mid-September, a farmer in Lower Saxony found a crashed drone carrying a can of explosives near the Bundeswehr air base in Wunstorf. Military assessments conclude that this incident very likely indicates a direct threat to German troops themselves (in contrast to the Leipzig incident, which was viewed as an indirect threat).
The internal Bundeswehr document, which was seen by journalists, states that Russia “has for some time almost certainly possessed the capability and very likely now also has an increased intention” to act against Bundeswehr forces and facilities, as well as Ukrainian partners on German territory. In the military’s view, the use of weaponised drones means that Russia has crossed a previously anticipated “red line” — the intention to cause damage with kinetic or lethal effects.
According to the document, the probable aim of such actions is to destabilise and weaken political and societal support in Germany for Ukraine. Previously, an elevated risk of sabotage was mainly recorded at sites where Ukrainian soldiers are trained, as well as at naval bases and shipyards. The threat is now viewed as broader.
The assessment also mentions signs of reconnaissance: drone overflights of the Arrow 3 air-defence site in Saxony-Anhalt and a camouflaged camera filming a strategically important railway junction in Minden. Intelligence services expect a possible short-term deterioration of the situation.
