Germany faces "shadow war" that goes beyond Cold War threats, interior minister warns

German Interior Minister Alexander ​Dobrindt warned on Monday ​that a "shadow war" facing Germany ‌is more ​far reaching than the Cold War was, arguing that the threat underscores the need to strengthen ‌the country's BfV domestic intelligence agency.

"The shadow war we are witnessing today has an objective that extends far beyond anything seen during the Cold War," Dobrindt said ‌at a BfV press conference in Berlin. "Its clear aim is to ‌destabilise us - to destabilise us fundamentally," he said, without directly naming Russia.

His comments echo warnings by Germany's head of foreign intelligence, the BND, this month that Germany is at risk ⁠of entering ​a violent conflict ⁠with Moscow. Calls to expand Germany's intelligence powers have gained urgency since a failed attack involving ⁠an explosives-laden drone at a German airport in August, which authorities blamed on Russia.

The government's ​reform bill, which would give intelligence services broader powers including the ⁠ability to take active defensive measures, is currently being examined by parliamentary committees after a first ⁠reading ​in September. "Germany cannot be a second- or third-rate player when it comes to developing services and capabilities; we must remain at the forefront, given ⁠the challenges we face," Dobrindt said.

Created after World War Two, when memories ⁠of the ⁠Nazi regime were still fresh, the German services have traditionally been more constrained than those of allies such as France, Britain ‌or the ‌US.