German intelligence: Russia preparing for direct conflict with NATO

[New Sancai Compilation First Edition] Bruno Kahl, director of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has warned German lawmakers that Russia is preparing to "launch an attack on NATO by the end of 2030 at the latest." Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to achieve his goal of driving the United States out of Europe and restoring Russia's dominance.

"Direct military confrontation with NATO has become an option for Moscow," Karl warned at the annual hearing of the Bundestag Control Committee in Berlin, Germany, on October 14. He said. "Whether we like it or not, we are in direct conflict with Russia." Russia's willingness to use covert and hybrid attacks has reached "unprecedented levels," he added.

Kahl said Putin plans to continue testing red lines in the West to "further escalate the confrontation," noting that the Kremlin has been beefing up Russia's military in preparation for an attack.

"The Russian armed forces may have the personnel and material to launch an attack on NATO by the end of this decade at the latest," Kahl told lawmakers.

He pointed out that although Russia has been engaged in a full-scale war with Ukraine since February 2022, its military spending and conventional force growth still far exceed that of European countries.

"Of course, the focus of this build-up is in the strategic direction westward along NATO's eastern flank," Karl commented.

Meanwhile, Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, said "aggressive behavior" by Russian intelligence services had been observed.

He added that Russian sabotage and espionage activities in Germany had grown "both in quantity and quality" in recent months, reaching levels that "should be a wake-up call for everyone," according to Euronews.

Haldenwang added that his office had observed "aggressive behavior" by Russian intelligence services.

Military Counterintelligence Director Martina Rosenberg also attended the hearing.

CNN reported in the summer of 2024 that U.S. and German intelligence authorities thwarted a Russian assassination plot against the CEO of Rheinmetall, a company that produces weapons shipped from Germany to Ukraine.

(Compiled by: Wang Jimin)

(Editor: Jiang Qiming)

(Source of the article: Compiled and published by New Sancai)