Germany at risk of 'violent conflict' with Russia, warns intelligence chief

Germany risks entering a "violent conflict" with Russia because of Moscow's increasingly aggressive stance against European nations, an intelligence chief has warned.

Martin Jaeger, who is the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service BND, said the attempted attack at Leipzig airport in August was an example of how tensions had taken on a "more dangerous dimension".

Germany blamed Russia for the attempted attack. An explosive-laden drone at Leipzig airport was defused, with Berlin calling it a "broader pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe".

Mr Jaeger said: "The confrontation we are facing with Russia has taken on a new, more dangerous dimension.

"Germany is in danger of becoming embroiled in a violent conflict with Russia - the attempted attack in Leipzig is just one example."

Germany is Ukraine's largest donor. Mr Jaeger said Moscow was trying to compel Germany to ⁠drop its support.

"Russia is determined to bring Ukraine to its knees this coming winter," he said.

"We must expect Russian attacks of a severity and brutality that we have not yet seen."

German authorities have repeatedly accused Moscow of a hybrid campaign of drone and cyber attacks, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied the claims, saying: "We are not threatening anyone."

On Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia was putting lives at risk across Europe with hybrid attacks.

She added: "Europe has seen a spike in the Russian hybrid attacks and sabotage attempts and airspace violations in recent weeks.

"Russian missiles and drones violated Moldovan airspace again over the weekend. And this is completely unacceptable."

Meanwhile, Russia said Ukraine would pay the price for striking its oil refineries.

Ukraine has said its long-range missile strikes have neutralised more than half of Russia's oil refining capacity, hampering Moscow's ability to supply its forces. The claim has not been independently verified.

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said his forces will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries.

He told the Reuters news agency it was in response to a new policy of air strikes by Moscow designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities.

On Monday, Russian air strikes targeted industrial and port infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa region.

Kharkiv also came under attack - one person was killed and six others injured.

Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram that it hit Vylkove port, fuel depot facilities ⁠in Chornomorsk on the Black Sea coast as well as ​cargo vessels, in ​the Odesa region, and a power ⁠station in the Kharkiv region, which it ⁠said were used ​for military purposes.

Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 205 drones overnight into Monday, of which 172 were shot down or suppressed.

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Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko warned his country's forces will hit Russian targets "hard".

He told Sky News: "Ukraine has all the right to attack any targets in Russia because Russia started this absolutely unjustified war.

"The only thing we can do is to defend ourselves and hit as hard as we could all possible targets in Russia.

"The most important thing for us is the result of all this should be an end to the war. We need to end this war."

(c) Sky News 2026: Germany at risk of 'violent conflict' with Russia, warns intelligence chief