Germany crafts comprehensive troop deployment strategy in response to potential Russian aggression
Germany is formulating a plan to deploy troops in the event of a Russian attack. Up to 800,000 military personnel and more than 200,000 units of equipment may need to be transported through Germany to Eastern Europe.
As part of the "Operational Plan Germany" (OPLAN DEU), the Bundeswehr, in collaboration with NATO allies, is devising a scheme to move troops towards Eastern Europe should Russia launch a military attack on the Alliance, reports DW.
According to Der Spiegel, in the event of an RF attack on NATO's eastern flank, up to 800,000 Alliance soldiers with more than 200,000 units of various equipment would have to be transported through Germany within three to six months.
The key route from west to east is expected to be the A2 motorway, stretching from the city of Oberhausen in the North Rhine-Westphalia federal state to the Berlin ring road.
Media sources indicate that the Bundeswehr, federal state leadership, and the German government are continuing to work on this confidential plan. Consideration is being given to route security, "choke points," and alternatives. The capabilities of civilian infrastructure to accommodate and service such a volume of equipment and personnel are also being evaluated.
The Hohenwarte Bridge over the Elbe River, spanning nearly 1,200 metres, is considered a "choke point." In the case of sabotage or a missile attack, the A2 motorway could become completely paralyzed.
In June, during a speech at the Bundestag, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius expressed that the country must be ready to defend against a Russian attack by 2029 and take deterrent measures. He highlighted three main issues: equipment, personnel, and finances. Pistorius noted the necessity of increasing the defence budget and recalled the reform of conscription.
In March 2023, amidst the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, Berlin began developing an operational defence plan — a strategic document running to several hundred pages, detailing responses to security threats. This is effectively the first major defence plan Germany has crafted to counter military attacks in the last thirty years.