Cybercrime, drones, arson: there are now almost daily attacks on critical infrastructure. Fingers have been pointed at , Beijing, and left-wing extremists — but is Berlin prepared to handle a multi-pronged strike?
In the same week that drones were spotted over several European airports, a used by many of those same hubs — including Berlin Airport — left passengers and personnel scrambling. At the same time, Germany’s rail service experienced the latest in a series of high-level sabotage incidents.
Similar are experienced by private companies with increasing regularity — costing the economy €289 billion ($339 billion), according to Bitkom, the umbrella organization for the digital economy in Germany. While about 68% of the time, the perpetrator is thought to be a crime syndicate, half of the survey companies said they could trace at least one attack to Russia. A similar number said they linked the incidents to China.
ˈThe danger is increasingˈ
Moscow is also being blamed for the recent drone incursions across Europe.
“That it could be a private actor is extremely unlikely. These are professionals working with expensive equipment; it is highly likely to be a state actor,” said Manuel Atug, an infrastructure security expert with the think tank AG Kritis.
Atug surmised that the purpose of the attacks, both physical and online, could be ” destabilizing society from inside. So that they lose trust in institutions and the government.”
Earlier in September, , said that cyberattacks on government institutions and critical infrastructure occurred “almost daily.” admitted that “seldom in the country’s post-war history has the security situation been this serious.”
On Monday, Roderich Kiesewetter, a security specialist with Merz’s center-right Christian Democrats () told the Handelsblatt newspaper that “the danger is increasing because Russia, in particular, is increasingly sending not only reconnaissance drones, but also armed drones.” He warned that the government cannot afford to let private operators, such as airports, be solely responsible for such serious security issues and advocated for declaring a state of emergency, the basis for introducing special measures such as the reactivation of .
The German public is also sensing the growing threat. A study carried out by PWC earlier this year found that 67% of Germans are afraid of “hybrid attacks” from Russia, and nearly half felt that their government was ill-prepared to defend against them.
Indeed, Germany is infamously lagging behind in terms of digital infrastructure. Though the is heavily staffed with IT experts, “tanks are running on software from 1989” Manuel Atug said, an example of how the German government is “rather weakly protected” against sophisticated cyberattacks.
Russia accused of hiring mercenary agents for attacks
Investigations are still ongoing after two important rail lines were sabotaged last week — the one between Hamburg and Berlin, and between Cologne and Düsseldorf. In one case, an explosive was detonated in a tunnel used by the train, and in another, the overhead electrical cables were cut. These were just two incidents in a string of what Deutsche Bahn has also called “nearly-daily attacks” beginning over the summer.
Lawmakers and investigators alike have asked if Russia could be behind the sabotage, as part of a multi-faceted attack on the lives of ordinary Germans Interior Minister also spoke of alleged agents for hire, who aren’t part of a foreign government, but will carry out cybercrime or physical attacks on infrastructure for one in exchange for money.
“Three of these so-called low-level agents are currently facing charges in Munich,” he said, accused of planning train sabotage on behalf of Moscow.
Left-wing extremists blamed for further rail sabotage
Some politicians have also blamed left-wing extremists for , including the state interior minister for , Herbert Reul. An open letter was published on a left-wing website, taking credit for August attack on the line between the cites of Duisburg and Düsseldorf.
“It is therefore likely that militant left-wing extremists were responsible,” Reul said.
As to what motive left-wing extremists might have to attack railway lines, considering supporting public transportation is usually a leftist cause, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution says that Deutsche Bahn is not seen as merely a public good in the far-left scene.
“Deutsche Bahn is denounced by the scene as the largest logistics company in the ˈcapitalist profit economyˈ” in Germany.
Security expert Manuel Atug pointed out that “anyone can publish an anonymous letter on that platform. It is unusual that no other leftists or groups expressed solidarity with it.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time leftists blocked transportation,” he said, but, authorities should “conduct a proper investigation first” rather than announcing suspicions and going from there. He said this was also true for the drone incursions and cyberattacks.
Opposition lawmakers are calling on Merz’s government to take consequential action and to be clear about where the threats were coming from, rather than announcing suspicions without any follow-up. As Konstantin Notz, who handles security policy for the , told Deutschlandfunk radio: “The German public has a right to be clearly informed about where attacks are taking place on a daily or weekly basis, what is suspected, and who is behind them.”
Edited by Rina Goldenberg
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