German General Warns NATO of Potential Russian Attack Within Three Years

German Military Leader Expresses Concern Over Russian Threat to NATO

According to Главком: In an interview with The Times, Lieutenant General Gerald Funke, head of Germany's Armed Forces Support Command, warned that Russia could potentially attack NATO member states within the next two to three years. He stressed that preparing for such a scenario requires addressing critical issues, including logistics, medical support, and Germany's legal framework. These warnings reflect a significant shift in Germany's security posture following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Funke noted that the Bundeswehr currently operates just five military hospitals with a total capacity of roughly 1,800 beds. In a crisis, the command has pre-divided the network of civilian hospitals into four sections to receive casualties. The general contrasted his experience in Afghanistan, where he dealt with a large but manageable number of wounded, with the current need to plan for the possibility of receiving a thousand casualties per day.

'The more closely you look at it, the more complex it becomes and the harder it is to imagine,' said Lieutenant General Gerald Funke.

Support Command's Plans and Challenges

The Armed Forces Support Command was established last year as part of a major Bundeswehr reorganization. General Funke reported that the command is developing an updated version of a requisition system last used during the Cold War to secure essential resources such as:

• trucks
• railway wagons
• food supplies
• personnel

To this end, he has initiated contingency agreements with the national rail operator Deutsche Bahn, which is obligated to provide trains for military equipment transport within three days of a request.

Among other unresolved issues, General Funke highlighted the legal conditions under which military measures can be deployed. This is only possible if two-thirds of the Bundestag's deputies vote to declare a state of tension or a state of national defense. Separately, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Berlin can no longer supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems from its own stocks, as Germany has already given Ukraine over a third of its available air defense systems.

Germany's preparations for a potential Russian attack on NATO thus encompass a wide range of issues, from medical care to legal frameworks, underscoring the seriousness of the threat and the need for meticulous planning. General Funke's comments highlight growing security concerns in Germany and the critical importance of adapting the country's military structures to new challenges in the current geopolitical climate.