German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Sunday that Germany must be prepared to counter any hybrid attacks from Russia, which include social media campaigns designed to help the far-right and populist parties.
“Putin is engaging in hybrid attacks, and Germany is particularly in focus,” Pistorius told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers in comments released on Sunday.
“He knows us well, Putin knows how to needle us,” the defence minister, a Social Democrat, added. “Ignoring this threat because it makes us uncomfortable will not make it smaller but rather larger.”
A hybrid attack is a type of cyberattack by which a malicious actor uses more than one tool to get into a device or network or conduct some other type of assault.
He suggested the attacks concern Germany’s infrastructure, energy supply, activities in the North and Baltic Seas, as well as airspace violations.
Political attacks in the mix
“There are also campaigns on social media, interference in election campaigns, and the financing of voices, such as [the far-right Alternative for Germany] AfD and [the populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance] BSW, claiming it is not about our own protection but that we are heading towards a war with Russia,” Pistorius stated.
Part of Putin’s strategy is to unsettle and divide our society, Pistorius said.
“We must do everything we can to prevent Putin’s strategy from succeeding.”
Germany’s military readiness
When asked whether Germany is where it needs to be militarily, Pistorius said, “We are on a good path.” This year alone, 97 major projects worth €58 billion ($60.5 billion) have been launched, surpassing last year’s record.
But there is room for improvement.
“We have transferred a lot of material to Ukraine. Additionally, the industry needs time to ramp up production capacities to produce weapons and ammunition.”
Pistorius explained that a Leopard tank has a delivery time of up to two and a half years, while frigates and submarines take six to eight years.
“The delivery times alone make it clear: it is impossible to close the gaps created in the past 30 years within one legislative period.”
