“Die Welt”: Military historian Sonke Neitzel said this might be the last year of peace. Hysteria or Realism?
Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank: These warnings are expected to be an emergency signal. We are not at war yet, as prof. Neitzel defines it, yet we are already in conflict with Russia. We observe various forms of hybrid attacks, espionage, sabotage or operations of exerting influence through misinformation. The Russians call these forms of hybrid war nonlinear war.
Is this about the celebrated doctrine of Gierasimov?
Yeah. This concept is about achieving goals by utilizing resources across the spectrum of force projection. This involves utilizing hybrid warfare methods. In this concept, further stages of escalation are considered and planned from local to regional war to large scale.
Anyway, along with our allies, we are watching Russia's actions closely and assessing all step of it. By doing so, we stick to the facts in our assessments.
What facts?
Anyone who wants to wage war against NATO must be able to do so militarily. This requires armed forces with personnel, equipment and capabilities that can face NATO troops in armed conflict.
There's no war starting, just firing on NATO territory. War has a purpose, like the business of territory. Before you take the first shot, you gotta realize whether you will scope your target. That is why we are watching closely what possible the Russian Federation has.
"The aim is to change the Euro-Atlantic order"
What do the facts say about Russia's goals?
First, we gotta ask ourselves why Russia needs specified large armed forces. In a short period of time, the Russian Federation carried its arsenal to pre-invasion levels in Ukraine — despite the massive losses suffered in the war against Kiev.
Secondly, what has Russia done with its military possible in the past? She attacked her neighbors Georgia and Ukraine over the past 17 years and utilized immense force and brutality to accomplish her own goals.
Thirdly, you gotta perceive to what the political leaders in Russia compose and say. It can be concluded from this that the Russians want to go back to the pre-free states in the periphery or debris of the russian Union, which subsequently became EU or NATO members.
So the Russians want to go back to Europe before 1990?
The aim is to change the Euro-Atlantic order in its present form to 1 that Russia would accept. Putin demands that states that are presently members of NATO either no longer members of the North Atlantic Alliance, or that they do not station in their territory abroad troops and that the US no longer be the main safety guarantor in Europe.
By the way, it was The core of the alleged safety guarantees that Russia requested from the West as early as 2021.
Are the Russians increasingly better at carrying out hybrid activities specified as sabotage and espionage?
Yes, they are. What we see differs not only in quantity compared to the situation a fewer years ago, but besides in quality. However, it is not always possible to prove that the Russians are behind these actions.
The problem of imputability by unfriendly actions is besides the core of hybrid activities. In addition to doing direct damage, their aim is to disturb the population and to delegate state institutions.
Are hybrid actions an end in itself? Or is it what the military call “the formation of the battlefield”? In another words, are the Russians active in preparing for a classical war?
Could be both. They may want to accomplish circumstantial objectives by conducting hybrid activities and "shaping the battlefield" by testing, spying and causing anxiety.
By investigating our alarm systems and procedures, recognizing the patterns of our reactions, Russian intelligence services gather experience.
However, it should be remembered that the core of hybrid action is to accomplish war objectives without the request for military escalation.
“We are dealing with unusual incidents”
How dangerous are the Russians' actions?
We are seeing an increase in the number of hybrid attacks that are besides targeted at the Bundeswehr. We've been dealing with incidents of sabotage, for example, in relation to naval facilities. metallic chips in the propulsion strategy or utilized oil in the drinking water tank are only 2 striking examples of sabotage against 2 marine frigates. We're besides noticing expanding drone activity.
We are dealing with unusual incidents in the cybernetic sphere, and even attempts to infiltrate military facilities. any of them could be prevented, others could not. We are taking additional measures to better defend ourselves from this. I can say that consciousness has increased. For example, drones present are detected faster than 3 years ago.
Why doesn't the military just shoot down drones?
We are effectively combating drones where we are authorized and where it is appropriate to the situation. An outstanding example is the Ludwigshafen am Rhein corvette, which shot down a drone off the coast of Lebanon last October.
Wojciech Guardian/Reporter / East NewsGerman corvette ‘Ludwigshafen am Rhein’ (illustration picture)
If this didn't work, the drone would hit the ship and origin serious damage. We besides shot down 1 or 2 drones on military ground.
Really?
Yeah, but We're not effective adequate to defend against drones yet.. There are 2 reasons. Firstly, unmanned aircraft technology is developing very dynamically. As the Bundeswehr, we must keep pace with this technological improvement through our defences.
Secondly, the soldier who discovers the drone may decide not to shoot it down, as he must consider the possible consequences of this action. Everything we shoot into the air, it goes back to the ground...
And possibly fall into a village?
Yeah, that's right. In addition to shooting down, the defence against drones besides involves interrupting the connection between drone pilot on the ground and drone. Unmanned aircraft can be shot down or crashed in a targeted manner. That's what we mean by jamming. However, there are besides wired drones where jamming does not work. In the Bundeswehr Operations Command, we have a centre that deals with these issues.
This center was created at a time erstwhile we were attacked by improvised explosives on abroad missions. These experts devote themselves full to defence against drones and related tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as technological issues specified as distant control of unmanned aircraft.
Changes in Bundeswehre
Does the recently established Bundeswehr Operations Command mean that the era of abroad missions has come to an end, and the army's main precedence has again become defence of the country and alliances?
That's right. We had 2 Commands: Operations Command for abroad Missions and Territorial Command for Germany. But Now it's all about deterrence and defensive readiness..
Therefore, we combine everything in 1 command in the Operations Command and concentrate the actions of the armed forces on the main task of protecting against hybrid threat and preparing national and allied defence.
How close is cooperation with the US?
Militaryly close and reliable, no change. I am, of course, aware of the political debates and announcements from the US, but at present I do not see any consequences of these military activities. NATO works — united, coordinated, determined.
