Andy Grote, the Interior Senator for Hamburg and chairman of the Interior Ministers Conference, foresees an intensification of hybrid attacks from Russia, citing the recent drone assault at Leipzig/Halle Airport and other undisclosed acts of sabotage. Simultaneously, he warned that the AfD poses a “massive security risk to Germany” due to its close ties with Russia.
Speaking to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Grote stated that Russia’s warfare extends far beyond the conflict in Ukraine and is increasingly targeting countries that support Ukraine, especially Germany. He predicted that these hybrid attacks-ranging from disinformation and cyberattacks to bombings and the use of weapons-will be ramped up with the purpose of creating insecurity, destabilizing the political and social fabric, and undermining support for Ukraine.
The SPD politician emphasized that Germany must respond by resolutely strengthening its defense capabilities. According to Grote, the better prepared the nation is for hybrid attacks and crises, the less likely it is that Russia will achieve its aims. He characterized the German government’s recent response in this context as “consistent and correct.”
The chair of the Interior Ministers Conference further stressed that German society must not allow its democracy and social cohesion to be weakened or destabilized from the outside. He asserted that as a society, Germany is now required to actively defend the democratic state built over decades and to bolster its resilience and stability. However, he issued a forceful warning regarding the state of Saxony-Anhalt, where he stated that the election victory of “a party that represents a massive security risk to Germany through its close contacts with Russia” is a viable threat. In his assessment, every vote cast for the AfD benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin and harms Germany.
