Germany opens centre to combat ‘hybrid threats’

Germany opened a centre to coordinate its defences against “hybrid attacks” on Tuesday as the country is on high alert for espionage, sabotage and disinformation, particularly from Russia.

“The danger posed by hybrid threats is constantly growing, including for Germany,” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters at the opening of the centre in Berlin.

“Foreign powers are attacking us through espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.”

The Joint Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats aims to facilitate coordination between the domestic and foreign intelligence agencies, police, other security services and regional authorities.

In a country often criticised for its fragmented bureaucracy, Dobrindt said the centre would help prioritise “coordination rather than turf wars”.

Like several other European countries, Germany has seen a spate of suspicious drone flights over and near sensitive sites such as military bases, power plants and airports.

Tensions with Moscow have surged as Germany has become a major supporter of Ukraine and moved to massively build up its own defences as part of the NATO alliance.

“Our country is in the crosshairs of foreign powers and our freedom, our democracy and our prosperity are being attacked on an almost daily basis,” Dobrindt said.

He foreshadowed reforms for German spy agencies away from pure intelligence-gathering towards a more active role in countering threats to national security.

Intelligence services must play “a different role in a world that has changed compared with what it was 30, 40, or 50 years ago”, he said, arguing that Germany must take steps so that its spy agencies could operate “on the same level” as their Western counterparts.

Dobrindt also called for Germany to work together with other European countries to catch up with the United States and China on artificial intelligence.

“It is a matter of urgency that we as Europe… do not simply stand by and watch,” he said.

According to the interior ministry, around 334,000 cases of cybercrime were recorded in Germany last year, two-thirds of which originated abroad or from unknown locations.