Germany warns of heightened security threats over Russia’s 'hybrid warfare'

"We are Ukraine's biggest supporter in Europe, that's what (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is after. We are therefore assuming an increased threat situation and are talking to companies about better protection - especially in the defense industry," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

“The security situation has worsened significantly. Putin is acting absolutely unscrupulously," she added.

Faeser pointed to what she called Putin’s “brutality” with which he “wages his war of aggression against the Ukrainian civilian population,” but also in “cyber attacks or disinformation campaigns.”

There are attacks on critical infrastructure and companies, and there is also a significant increase in incidents of sabotage and espionage, she said.

Russia has long faced accusations from the West of carrying out a hybrid war, which is the use of conventional and unconventional means to create instability in countries. The tactics can include election interference, assassination plots and attacks on critical infrastructure.

Last month, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also said hybrid attacks were being launched from Russia and the target was Germany.​​​​​​​

"Putin is engaging in hybrid attacks, and Germany is particularly in focus. He knows us well, Putin knows how to needle us," Pistorius told the Funke media group outlet.

Defining a hybrid war as a "combination of classic military operations, economic pressure, computer attacks and propaganda in the media and social networks," he said the attackers' aim was specifically to destabilize societies.