attacks on infrastructure
General Breuer: Any power plant can be attacked
Considers attacks and influence from abroad possible: Lieutenant General Carsten Breuer. photo
© Annette Riedl/dpa
A new security situation in Europe is fueling fear and uncertainty, including among Bundeswehr General Carsten Breuer. In his opinion, attacks from abroad could increase.
Bundeswehr General Carsten Breuer has warned of increasing attacks on the infrastructure in Germany.
“Every substation, every power plant, every pipeline can be attacked, can be a possible target,” the commander of the Bundeswehr’s Territorial Command told the “Bild am Sonntag”. “Here in the command, we are primarily prepared for hybrid threats. That is the situation between no longer completely peace, but not yet really war.”
The background is Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the new security situation in Europe. “Russia’s war has meant that our focus is once again on national and collective defense. It has become clear to the whole country that war in Europe is possible again.”
Attacks on infrastructure and cyber attacks
Attacks and influence from abroad could increase. “This is not about an enemy army with soldiers and tanks attacking our country,” emphasized Breuer. “But there are influence measures, with attacks on infrastructure and cyber attacks, or, for example, reconnaissance flights with drones over barracks. In other words, pinpricks that are intended to stir up uncertainty among the population and shake confidence in our state.” The security authorities would have to adjust to this threat situation, Breuer told the newspaper.
“Hysteria is a bad advisor,” pointed out the Bundeswehr general. However, it should be clear to every citizen “that he should change his individual behavior” – this includes, for example, the mental attitude or the purchase of a flashlight and a radio with sufficient batteries for the home, i.e. independent of the power supply from the socket.