German spy chief warns of violent conflict risk with Russia

Martin Jaeger, president of the Federal Intelligence Service, or BND, told parliament’s intelligence committee that the confrontation with Russia has taken on a new and more dangerous quality.

“Germany is in danger of becoming embroiled in a violent conflict with Russia. The attempted attack in Leipzig is only one example of that,” he said, referring to an attempted drone strike on a Ukrainian cargo plane in August.

“No other country currently poses such a direct, comprehensive and concrete threat to Germany,” Jaeger said. “We did not seek this confrontation. Russia is forcing it upon us and sees us as a main adversary, because we refuse to accept its revisionist, expansionist policies and its war of aggression against Ukraine.”

His remarks came a day after Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Kyiv and announced new measures to support Ukraine. Only hours before that trip, Russia’s Foreign Ministry had urged foreign diplomats and other visitors to stay clear of the Ukrainian capital, above all military sites and government buildings. Drone attacks on Kyiv continued during the visit.

Russia’s ‘shadow war’ against Germany

Jaeger told lawmakers that, according to the BND’s assessment, Germany has become a main obstacle to “Russian hegemonic power projection in Europe” and therefore a prime target for Russian operations.

He accused Moscow of stepping up increasingly aggressive covert activities by its services in and against Germany.

“Russia is waging a shadow war against us,” Jaeger said, referring to sabotage attempts and other hybrid attacks. “This undeclared war cannot be grasped in conventional military or legal categories. Germany has not declared a constitutional state of defense, and yet we are under attack.”

Jaeger said the intelligence services need new powers, and that a government draft law would strengthen the BND as Germany’s first line of defense.

“Russian intelligence agencies operate with a high degree of professionalism and ruthlessness,” he said. “The threat of attacks against targets in Germany remains real and present. We must counter this. That also requires a fundamental change in the Federal Intelligence Service.”

Russia has not issued an immediate statement in response to the BND chief’s warnings. Moscow has in the past dismissed allegations of hybrid attacks in Europe as baseless, accusing Western governments of using such claims to justify higher military spending and sustain support for Ukraine.