Germany reports surge in espionage activity - Suspects revealed
German Army soldier (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The German Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) has reported a sharp increase in the activity of foreign intelligence services on German territory, according to the 2024 MAD report.
The report notes that attempts to obtain information about the size of the Bundeswehr, its armaments, command structure, and troop deployment decisions have increased significantly.
Russia is named as one of the key sources of these threats.
MAD chief Martina Rosenberg emphasized that modern intelligence activities are essentially preparation for potential military conflicts.
According to her, in 2025, Germany is witnessing a sharp surge in Russian intelligence operations, attempts at sabotage on logistical routes, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and the use of drones resistant to electronic countermeasures. Over the course of the year, the number of recorded incidents nearly doubled.
Alongside external pressure, MAD also notes internal threats: in 2024, 524 new cases were opened, 413 of them related to right-wing extremist activity among military personnel. This creates additional challenges for Germany’s defense capabilities amid increased Russian activity and attempts to influence German society and the armed forces.
How Germany is preparing for a war with Russia
Earlier reports indicated that Germany is accelerating preparations for a potential conflict with Russia and implementing a secret Operation Plan Germany - a comprehensive 1,200-page document outlining how the country would serve as a key hub for deploying up to 800,000 NATO troops eastward in the event of war.
The document details troop movement routes, logistics, infrastructure nodes, and protective measures. According to The Wall Street Journal, German military planners consider that Russia could be ready to attack the Alliance as early as 2029, although a series of sabotage acts, espionage incidents, and airspace violations suggests a potentially earlier threat.
At the same time, the German government is preparing a large-scale investment program totaling €166 billion by 2029, over €100 billion of which will go toward modernizing the neglected railway network and dual-use infrastructure.
Earlier, Martin Jaeger, President of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is prepared to test Europe’s borders and could provoke a hot confrontation at any moment.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian military intelligence reported that Russia views a large-scale war in Europe as inevitable in the medium term.
