German intelligence chief warns: Putin could attack the West by 2030

"The Kremlin sees the West, and thus Germany, as an adversary." This is something the BND chief firmly believes.

This view is also shared by the President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang (left in the picture) and Martina Rosenberg, the President of the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD). All three provided answers at the public inquiry of German intelligence services by the Bundestag, many of which were troubling.

In view of a potential threat from Russia, the BND chief Bruno Kahl believes unity and defensive capability are extremely important. He expects that Moscow might try to split NATO before any direct military confrontation.

"We observe aggressive operations by Russian intelligence services," declared Haldenwang. Especially espionage and sabotage by Russian actors in Germany have increased - "both quantitatively and qualitatively."

According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany narrowly avoided an airplane crash in July due to a fire in an air cargo package, allegedly initiated by Russia. It was only a stroke of luck that the package caught fire on the ground at the DHL logistics center in Leipzig and not during flight, stated Thomas Haldenwang, President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

The President of the Federal Office for Military Counterintelligence Service (BAMAD), Martina Rosenberg, pointed out that the number of espionage attempts on so-called critical infrastructure is "alarmingly" high and necessitates increased vigilance.

In the picture: the building of the Federal Security Service, formerly KGB in Moscow.

According to Rosenberg, the Bundeswehr is also a focus, "whether it's to clarify German arms shipments to Ukraine, training projects, or defense projects, or to convey a sense of insecurity through acts of sabotage," she stated.

"We are in a direct confrontation with Russia," said BND chief Kahl, quoted by Bild. Russia's President Vladimir Putin’s intentions go beyond Ukraine and are "actually about creating a new world order."

The question remains why Putin would start a war that cannot be won, with the hope that the grim forecasts of the three German intelligence chiefs will not come true.

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