Key facts
- Germany's armed forces classified the threat of Russian sabotage as "significant".
- The assessment is the second-highest level on their internal threat scale.
- A drone carrying high explosives crashed near the Wunstorf air base in mid-September.
- Investigators believe the Wunstorf drone was aimed at Bundeswehr aircraft.
- Germany has blamed Russia for a similar failed attack at Leipzig/Halle airport in August.
Germany's armed forces have classified the threat of Russian sabotage against their own troops and facilities as "significant" for the first time, the second-highest level on their internal threat scale, according to a Bundeswehr assessment reported by German broadcasters WDR and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Wednesday. A defense ministry spokesperson confirmed the assessment, stating, "We are noting that we face a significant sabotage threat overall for the Bundeswehr." The reassessment was triggered by the discovery in mid-September of a crashed drone carrying a tin of high explosives near the Wunstorf air base in Lower Saxony. Investigators believe this drone was aimed at Bundeswehr aircraft, unlike a similar incident at Leipzig/Halle airport in August which authorities said targeted civilian cargo aircraft. Germany has blamed Russia for the Leipzig attack, though Moscow denies involvement and rejects accusations of sabotage in Europe. The report also cited suspected Russian reconnaissance across Germany, including drone overflights of a missile defence site and a camera filming a strategically important railway station. Intelligence services expect the situation to worsen in the short term, with further actions likely. The defense ministry spokesperson said preventive measures were being tailored to individual sites.