Overview
- Citing Monday's public hearing, BND chief Martin Jäger told lawmakers the agency now considers Russia the most direct and concrete threat to Germany and warned the country risks being drawn into a violent confrontation with Moscow.
- German investigators have attributed the attempted drone attack on Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig airport in August to Russian agents and the BND used the episode as a concrete example of the new threat.
- The BND sees no clear signs that Russia is preparing a large-scale strike on NATO but judges limited, low-intensity military operations—especially drone incursions and airspace violations—plausible in the Baltic states.
- Domestic intelligence head Sinan Selen warned of increased sabotage and assassination risks targeting Germany's military industry and infrastructure, signaling a shift from covert spying to direct hostile actions.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged more military aid to Ukraine while the government faces rising domestic pressure over that policy from AfD and BSW gains; Germany has supplied roughly €43 billion in civilian aid and €58 billion in military aid to Ukraine.