Germany raises alarm over growing ‘hybrid warfare’ threat

BERLIN – Germany faces daily hybrid warfare attacks from abroad, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt was quoted by a local newspaper as saying on Sunday, ‌following a suspected attack attempt involving an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

Dobrindt told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag that foreign powers wanted to subdue Germany politically and socially by stirring up fear. The newspaper Bild said the government planned to ​boost Germany’s anti-drone capacity to meet the threat.

“We’re not at war, but we are the ​daily target of hybrid warfare,” Dobrindt said. “Espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks, or covert operations by ⁠foreign powers aimed at destabilising Germany or inflicting direct harm are a constant reality.”

He did not identify ​particular countries.

After the drone loaded with explosives was discovered at the airport in eastern Germany on Tuesday, some German lawmakers pointed the finger at Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine since its military invasion of the country in 2022.

The Russian embassy in Berlin on Friday dismissed the Leipzig event as a “fabricated provocation”, saying it was another example of unsubstantiated accusations against Russia.

Citing government sources, Bild said Dobrindt’s ministry wanted to double ​Germany’s federal team of anti-drone experts to 300 from 150 and its network of related bases to eight from ‌four. The ⁠ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Germany’s armed forces on Saturday said two drones were spotted late on Thursday over a German military base site in Mechernich, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Separately, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told a German podcast Russia’s “hybrid war” against European powers is “essentially the ​same as what Europe ​has done to Russia”, ⁠arguing Europe had armed Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Russia, as well as given Kyiv financial support.

Still, he told the MD MEETS podcast hosted by ​Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner that Ukraine had not started the war and ​that victim ⁠and aggressor should not be confused.

According to the German text of his comments, the Serbian leader said he did not see the war between Russia and Ukraine ending before next spring due to an unwillingness to ⁠compromise ​and noted: “I believe we are at the beginning of a ​major war.”

Vucic’s comments on the podcast came after he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week. He pledged to support Ukraine’s independence and improve bilateral economic ties.