The war in Ukraine, the war in Middle East, cyber-attacks, espionage and security during the European Football Championship are putting German security authorities under pressure. In an exclusive interview on DW television, Mr Thomas Haldenwanghead of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the secret service of the interior, refers primarily to the arrest yesterday of three Germans on charges of military espionage for China:

“This is an important case, because it concerns the dissemination of weapon systems know-how. The arrests show that China is also active in Germany. Our agency conducted the investigations, and when the necessary evidence was gathered, we handed the case over to the police and the prosecutor’s office.”

“The threat level ahead of the Euro is extremely high”

Just a few days ago, German authorities arrested two people on suspicion of spying for Russia. How big is the Russian threat to internal security here in Germany? The head of the Federal Service for the Protection of the Constitution says:

“We have known for many years that Russia is carrying out many different operations in Germany. Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I was talking about threats similar to those of the Cold War. The situation has intensified even more with Russia’s attack on Ukraine. We have to realize that Moscow places particular emphasis on espionage, cyber-espionage, influence-peddling, disinformation, and even – in extreme cases – sabotage.”

Speaking to DW, the head of the domestic secret service also referred to the threats ahead of Euro 2024, which starts in mid-June in Germany:

“The influence of various global crises is significant in our country. It is mainly the war in Ukraine. But when we talk about potential terrorist attacks on major sporting events, such as the European Football Championship or later the Olympic Games in France, then of course we have other players in our sights. I am specifically referring to Islamist groups and individual Islamist perpetrators. The threat level in this area is very high. At this time we are not aware of any specific attack plans, but the threat level is extremely high.”

Source: DW