Germany 'preparing for war' as conflict between NATO and Russia 'imminent'

A German soldiers taking part in a NATO military exercise

The prospect of a major conflict between NATO and Russia appear more likely in the wake of a report citing a secret document by the Bundeswehr – Germany’s armed forces.

The report claims the German army is preparing for a potential hybrid attack to be carried out by Russia on the eastern flank of NATO.

Referring to a secret Bundeswehr document, a source told German daily Bild that an escalation between Moscow and the Western alliance could start as early as next month.

The confidential document details how the war may erupt, with events and incidents happening month after month.

After a predicted “Russian mobilisation” in February, Moscow would order a spring offensive in Ukraine, to be followed by an attack against the Baltic countries in July, according to the report.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Visits Siberia

The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad could play a massive role in the escalation of tensions, with Vladimir Putin possibly moving there Russia’s troops and missiles by October 2024.

The Suwaki Gap – the small area separating Belarus from Kaliningrad that lies along the border between Poland and Lithuania – could see border conflicts and “unrest with numerous casualties” in December, only weeks after the US presidential election.

As part of the hybrid war, the report includes cyberattacks and other means of warfare as a possibility.

By the summer of 2025, the report claimed, hundreds of thousands of NATO soldiers could be deployed.

The Bundeswehr’s “Defense Alliance 2023” reported by the German newspaper doesn’t go into detail about the number of NATO troops and their movements expected to defend the West from Russian aggression.

This major warning comes just days after two top defence officials in Sweden warned their country should prepare mentally for a possible conflict.

Attending the Society and Defence conference in early January, Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin stunned Sweden by saying there “could be war” in the nation.

Referring to emergency planners and authorities who should prepare for worst-case scenarios, he said: “If there is one thing that keeps me awake at night, it is the feeling that things are moving too slowly.”

Similarly, Swedish military commander-in-chief General Micael Byden said in an interview he doesn’t want to worry people but wants them to “think about their own situation and their own responsibilities”.