tagesschau 20:00 Uhr, 05.10.2026

Germany’s intelligence chiefs told parliament Monday that the country faces a new, more dangerous level of confrontation with Russia, warning that the threat has moved from abstract to concrete and that Germany risks being drawn into a violent conflict. The warning came during the annual public hearing of the Bundestag’s intelligence oversight panel, where the heads of the BND, the domestic intelligence service, and the military counterintelligence office testified. BND President Bruno Jäger said Russia has Germany in its sights as a supporter of Ukraine and that the danger of attacks remains real. The failed drone attack on Leipzig-Halle airport was cited as a recent example. The head of the domestic intelligence service, Thomas Haldenwang, said Russia is trying to destabilize German democracy, adding that beyond known espionage activities, there is now a willingness to carry out sabotage and assassination operations. The Bundeswehr is a particular target, with recent sabotage incidents on navy ships, cyberattacks, and drone surveillance all cited as evidence. In response, the governing coalition is planning a reform to give intelligence agencies new powers, including the ability to actively disable hacker servers or render weapons harmless. Critics, mainly from the opposition, worry this could blur the line between intelligence gathering and police intervention.