German elite special forces prepare for possible war with Russia
Photo: German military personnel (Getty Images)
The German elite special forces unit KSK is preparing for a potential military confrontation with Russia, having completely overhauled its training program and tactics, states KSK commander Andreas Kühne.
According to him, while special operations were previously planned for approximately three days, soldiers are now preparing for prolonged stays in field conditions.
"We are very specifically oriented toward the adversary in the form of Russia," noted Kühne.
Countering tanks and extreme cold
Special forces operatives are practicing countermeasures against an opponent equipped with tanks, artillery, drones, and electronic warfare systems.
Separate attention during training is given to operations in extremely low temperatures, which are characteristic of NATO’s eastern flank.
The KSK is based at the Zeppelin Barracks in the city of Calw near Stuttgart and numbers about 1,500 personnel. However, special forces operators constitute only one-third of the staff, with the remainder being administrative personnel.
Selection for the unit is extremely rigorous—only about 15% of candidates successfully pass it.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned of serious threats to the country stemming from both internal extremist groups and external adversaries, including Russia.
Furthermore, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul stated that the Russian president has not abandoned his intentions to restore the USSR. According to him, this creates a threat for several countries that must be prepared for a possible invasion by Russia.
