Top German officials have been publicly stating that war with Russia was on the horizon, as the invasion of Ukraine continues more than three years on.
Germany has begun to implement a top-secret plan detailing how 800,000 troops would be mobilised in a war with Russia, if it attacked a NATO country.
The 1200 page blueprint called “Operation Plan Germany” (OPLAN) was detailed by the Wall Street Journal, weeks after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned of uncertain times ahead.
“The threats are real,” he told business leaders in September.
“We’re not at war, but we no longer live in peacetime.”
Germany has been devising a plan to mobilise troops for a war with Russia.
The OPLAN dossier outlines the civilian infrastructure that would form key assets for moving troops to an eastern front in the event of war.
It details which ports, rail networks, river routes and roads that would become part of NATO’s war machine, with Germany expected to be a staging ground for troops from European allies and the US.
Top German officials have been publicly stating that war with Russia was on the horizon, as the invasion of Ukraine continues more than three years on.
This week, Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated new intelligence showed Russia was preparing to attack a NATO member before the end of the decade.
“Putin eyes the EU and NATO. Our intelligence services are issuing urgent warnings: at the very least, Russia is creating the option for itself to wage war against NATO by 2029,” he wrote on X.
“We have to deter further Russian aggression, together with our partners and allies.
“These divisions, without a doubt, have their sights set on us, on the European Union, on NATO. The threat to our country from Russia is no longer a distant concern; it is already a reality.”
Earlier in November Germany’s top operational commander Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank said even with Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine “Russia still possesses a very large military potential”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of relenting un Ukraine.
“That means Russia is already today capable of carrying out a regionally limited attack on NATO territory,” he said.
“After the end of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and if its rearmament continues unchecked, a large-scale attack on NATO could become possible – and soon.
“That means we have to deal with the possibility of an attack against us, whether we like it or not. And beyond that, we have no time to lose.”
Lt Gen Sollfrank described OPLAN as “not a war plan, but rather a war-prevention plan at its core”, at the armed forces’ annual press conference in Berlin.
He added: “Deterrence only works if it’s credible … we must be ready to fight so that we do not have to fight”.
Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius last week told news outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “We may have already lived through the last peaceful summer”.
More than 800,000 troops could be moved through German territory.
The Wall Street Journal reports Cold War-like preparations were already underway, with defence contractor Rheinmetall this year setting up an overnight field camp in east Germany.
It created a camp for 500 soldiers, with dormitories, 48 shower cabins, five gas stations, a field kitchen, drone surveillance and armed guards screened for Russian and Chinese influence.
The site was built in 14 days and dismantled in seven, with Rheinmetall executive Marc Lemmermann describing the process as “building a small town from nothing and dismantling it in just a few days”.
OPLAN has also assessed the nation’s infrastructure to identify where investment needs to be funnelled to military proof the nation.
Berlin estimates 20 per cent of highways and over a quarter of highway bridges need repairs due to chronic underinvestment, the Journal reports.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has also recently warned of war by 2029.
Its North Sea and Baltic Sea harbours need work worth 15 billion Euros ($26 billion), including 3 billion Euros for upgrades such as dock reinforcements, according to the federation of German seaports.
Cyber attacks and sabotage have been aimed at key infrastucture already, including the recent bombing of a Polish rail network, an act described as “shadow warfare” by European politics expert Sm Greene.
There have also already been signs of preparations for a looming war between NATO allies and Russia this year.
In August, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands agreed to reopen the historic Iron Rhine railway to enhance military mobility in Europe.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the decision would restore the 19th-century route between Antwerp and the Ruhr region, which has been inactive since 1991.
“This project is part of a broader effort to strengthen Europe’s defence infrastructure and its ability to respond quickly to threats,” Mr De Croo said during an August press conference.
Resources:
https://t.me/AussieCossack/43749
https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/secret-operation-plan-germany-details-how-nato-would-fight-russia/news-story