Russia condemns Germany's 'confrontational' defense strategy
Russian authorities have accused Germany of pursuing hostile policies towards Moscow. "The fact that Germany has chosen a path of decisive confrontation with Russia is no secret," said Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the President of the Russian Federation, on Friday, January 26. Meanwhile, the Kremlin highlighted the need to "closely examine" Germany's operational defense plan (OPLAN), which Berlin is developing in case of increased tensions and the need to protect the country. Russian news agencies have described Germany's actions as a "plan to contain Russia."
The previous day, the German news agency dpa reported on Berlin's efforts to improve its national defense system, citing Lieutenant General André Bodemann, Chief of Staff of the Homeland Defense Forces. The classified document, several hundred pages long and expected to be completed by the end of March, outlines the actions required by various bodies and institutions in the event that Germany needs to defend itself. As a result, for the first time since the Cold War, Germany will have a modern and comprehensive defense plan, the agency noted.
In the event of an attack on NATO allies, Germany's role will include supporting the routes for deployment and supply of allied forces, dpa reported. Bundeswehr planning experts assume that a significant proportion of German forces will be engaged by NATO to contain and defend on its eastern flank, rendering those forces unavailable for deployment within Germany itself.
Among the threats identified by the Bundeswehr are disinformation campaigns aimed at influencing decisions made by authorities, public opinion, and the media; cyberattacks on energy and telecommunications companies; and targeted espionage. Another concern is "sabotage, including by special operations forces and irregular units attempting to cause disruption, thereby complicating or preventing the deployment of troops," said Bodemann. Moreover, critical infrastructure could be targeted with ballistic missile attacks, and Germany is working on creating defenses against such threats, the general added.