Russia’s war in Ukraine shows no sign of ending any time soon, but more and more rumors are pointing to a possible escalation westwards. Now, a German intelligence report is issuing a serious warning, saying Putin plans to double his military might and raising new fears of a Russian offensive on the West.
Russia could launch a full-scale attack on the West as early as 2026, secret German intelligence documents have revealed. German experts are said to have recently observed a “significant escalation of Russian weaponry,” according to News Australia.
Russia’s army reorganization, troop movements and missile deployments in the west of the country are among the signs supporting this thesis, according to the German intelligence document.
The British press wrote that “German intelligence analysis is now going to the German government. According to it, there is a significant increase in Russian weapons production, which could lead to a doubling of Russia’s military power in the next five years compared to today, particularly in conventional weapons.”
The projections led intelligence services to conclude that an attack on NATO territory “can no longer be ruled out” from 2026. NATO officials were said to be concerned about Russia’s growing military capabilities, but did not necessarily believe this meant the West would be dragged into a war with Russia, the source reports.
However, others have been more skeptical of what appears to be never-ending claims that Russia is preparing to attack NATO, with some Hungarian commentators, for instance, outlining why they believe these routine reports are nothing more than scaremongering and propaganda.
At the same time, a U.S. intelligence assessment found that it would take Russia five to eight years to restore its military strength to what it was before Putin’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putin warned this week that he is prepared to launch nuclear weapons if he believes the West is threatening Russia’s sovereignty.
He said the weapons “exist to use” and that NATO troops in Ukraine would likely lead to a third world war. Putin won another six-year term in Russia’s presidential election over the weekend.
