Germany is developing a secret plan in case of war with Russia - WSJ
Kyiv • UNN
Germany is developing and implementing a secret 1,200-page "Operational Plan Germany" (OPLAN DEU) in case of war with Russia, which provides for the transfer of up to 800,000 NATO troops to the front line. The plan details logistics and defense, and also brings back a Cold War mentality, taking into account modern threats and infrastructure problems.
Germany is developing a secret plan in case of war with Russia, The Wall Street Journal reports, writes UNN.
Details
"About 2.5 years ago, twelve high-ranking German officers gathered in a triangular military complex in Berlin to work on a secret plan in case of war with Russia. Now they are rushing to implement it," the publication writes.
As noted, it is about "Operation Plan Germany", a secret 1200-page document, "compiled within the inconspicuous walls of the Julius Leber barracks."
"The plan details how up to 800,000 German, American, and other NATO troops will be transported east to the front line. It marks the ports, rivers, railways, and roads they will advance on, and how they will be supplied and protected along the way," the publication says.
The plan, it is reported, is the clearest manifestation to date of what its authors call a "whole-of-society" approach to war. "This blurring of the line between civilian and military spheres marks a return to a Cold War mentality, but updated to account for new threats and obstacles – from Germany's dilapidated infrastructure to inadequate legislation and a smaller army – that did not exist at the time," the publication writes.
"German officials said they expect Russia to be ready and willing to attack NATO in 2029. But a series of spy incidents, sabotage attacks, and airspace incursions in Europe, many of which Western intelligence attributes to Moscow, suggest that it may be preparing for an earlier attack," the publication says.
As the publication writes, analysts also believe that "a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, which the US is pushing for this week, could free up time and resources for Russia to prepare actions against NATO members in Europe." "If they manage to increase Europe's resilience, planners believe they will not only guarantee victory, but also make war less likely," the publication says.
"The goal is to prevent war by making it clear to our enemies that if they attack us, they will not succeed," said a high-ranking military officer and one of the first authors of the plan, known in military circles as OPLAN DEU.
It is reported that OPLAN, "located in an isolated 'red network' of the military, is now in its second edition." According to the publication, the team of Lieutenant General André Bodemann, a veteran of Kosovo and Afghanistan, completed the first version of the plan by March last year, drawing on feedback from a growing circle of ministries, government agencies, and local authorities.
In particular, as noted, attention is paid to infrastructure. In the long term, Berlin intends to spend 166 billion euros by 2029 on infrastructure, including more than 100 billion euros on long-neglected railways, and prioritize dual-use infrastructure, the publication writes.
"In a war with Russia, Germany will no longer be a frontline state, but a staging ground. In addition to degraded infrastructure, it will have to contend with reduced military forces and new threats such as drones," the publication notes.
Deficiencies in peacetime legislation have also made it difficult for Germany to protect against sabotage - one of the biggest threats facing OPLAN, the publication writes.
The Bundeswehr, it is reported, is optimistic about its progress. "Given that we started from a blank slate at the beginning of 2023, we are very pleased with where we are today," said an officer and co-author of OPLAN. "It's a very complex product."
"While the new Merz government trumpeted a 500 billion euro defense spending plan and a return to compulsory military service this year, the Bundeswehr worked quietly, instructing hospitals, police, and disaster relief services, making agreements with federal states and the autobahn operator, and laying out transit routes for military convoys," the publication writes.
However, as recent stress tests have shown, there is still work to be done to align the plan and reality. The biggest uncertainty facing planners is how much time they have, the publication notes.
"Given the sharp increase in sabotage, cyberattacks, and airspace incursions, the line between peace and war looks increasingly blurred," the publication says.
"The threats are real," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told business leaders in September. "We are not at war, but we no longer live in peacetime."