Secret services warn of Russian shadow war and call for more resistance

From the point of view of the secret services, Germany must become significantly more resilient, especially with regard to the threat from Russia. “Russia is waging a shadow war against us,” said the President of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Martin Jäger, during a public hearing of the Parliamentary Control Committee (PKGr) of the Bundestag.

This is about attempts at intimidation. Low-threshold actions against individual NATO member states are no longer an exception. In this situation, the intelligence services are “the first line of defense”.

Since the summer, Russian warfare against Ukraine has intensified significantly. At the same time, Russia is trying to stop arms deliveries.

Planning for homicides is part of the repertoire

Russia is showing its willingness to commit sabotage and homicide, says the President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Sinan Selen. The spectrum also includes disinformation and attempted attacks such as those at Halle/Leipzig airport. At the beginning of August, a drone prepared with explosives was discovered next to Ukrainian cargo planes. “We have already achieved defensive success,” he adds. But the situation continues to worsen, which is why the German intelligence services have to adapt their capabilities to those of other European partner services.

Meetings of the control committee are generally secret

Selen, Jäger and the President of the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), Martina Rosenberg, are usually only available to answer questions to members of the Parliamentary Control Committee in secret meetings. A public hearing only takes place once a year.

In this electoral period, only parliamentarians from the Union, SPD and Greens are represented in the committee that keeps an eye on the secret services. Candidates from the ranks of the AfD faction and the Left faction each failed to achieve the necessary majority in elections.

Reform proposals are on the table

The Bundestag still has to discuss a federal government bill that provides for an expansion of the powers of the BfV and BND. In special cases, in addition to reconnaissance, they should also carry out operational tasks in the future, for example to stop cyber attacks or sabotage arms projects.

Hybrid attacks are a combination of military, economic, intelligence and propaganda means aimed at destabilizing other states.