A Russian ship fired warning shots at a German military helicopter in the Baltic Sea during a routine surveillance operation, European news outlets reported.
On Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock confirmed the report during the NATO meeting in Brussels Belgium, saying that the German Bundeswehr helicopter which was on a reconnaissance mission at an unclear date and time, was targeted by the Russian vessel. She did not provide any additional details.
"Signal ammunition is used for warning shots rather than attack, but this sort of incident is a sign of how close NATO and Russia are getting to facing each other directly," a Daily Mail article concluded.
Meanwhile, Baerbock announced on social media platform X that surveillance of pipelines and data cables in the Baltic Sea would be stepped up as hybrid threats from Russia and its supporters were on the rise.
"Putin is attacking our peace order with hybrid attacks," Baerbock tweeted.
Amid the burgeoning tension in the region, two sets of communication cables in the Baltic Sea, that link Finland and Germany and Sweden and Lithuania, were damaged in less than a day last month. The incident has drawn the authorities' attention to possible subterfuge.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius declared the severing of a communication cable between Germany and Finland an act of "sabotage." He implied that "hybrid actors" were behind the attack. However, the reason for the attack was not yet known, Pistorius added.
Sweden, Germany and Lithuania already opened probes last week as they are looking into the role the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 in the incident. The ship was in the vicinity of the damaged cables at the time.
Hybrid warfare refers to activities designed to destabilize nations through non-traditional and diverse means, including cyberattacks, infrastructure sabotage and misinformation campaigns.
NATO is recently ramping up surveillance in the Baltic Sea to prevent hybrid attacks on pipelines and data cables by Russia and its supporters.
According to reports, there have been at least three incidents of possible sabotage to the 40-odd telecommunication cables and critical gas pipelines that run along its relatively shallow seabed since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
"NATO is stepping up patrols... allies are investing in innovative technologies that can help better secure these assets," Commander Arlo Abrahamson, NATO Allied Maritime Command spokesperson said.
Germany readies for the possibility of war spilling over other European nations
Reports claim that Germany has so far been avoiding direct conflict with Russia.
In fact, Berlin has not granted Ukraine with its long-range "Taurus" missiles. However, things may be going in a different direction, so it appears to be preparing for the eventuality of the Ukraine war spilling over into Europe.
Recently, Germany accused Russia of using high-speed drones to spy on the country's military facilities. Intelligence officials predicted in October that Russia will likely be in a position to attack NATO by 2030. They also drew attention to Russian espionage and sabotage.
In a speech to an annual parliamentary oversight committee in Berlin, the leaders of Germany's three intelligence agencies, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) and the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), reported a "quantitative and qualitative" rise in Russian-sponsored espionage and sabotage activities in Germany.
Head of the BfV Thomas Haldenwang said that they are seeing aggressive behavior on the part of the Russian intelligence services. These actions, they added, have reached a new level in recent months, which ought to be a wake-up call to all.
He asserted that "a direct military confrontation with NATO [could be] a course of action for Russia" by 2030 as Putin works toward his long-term objective of undermining the West and creating a new international order.
"Whether we like it or not, we are in direct confrontation with Russia," he also said.
Meanwhile, Russia denied the allegations. It instead accused NATO of carrying out provocations.
Nevertheless, Berlin has been preparing. In late November, reports citing Germany's Interior Ministry stated that the country is compiling a list of bunkers that could offer emergency shelter for citizens.
The list will include state buildings, private properties, subterranean rail stations and parking lots. A cell phone app would also provide a computerized directory of bunkers and emergency shelters so people can locate them quickly. People were also urged to convert garages and basements into protective shelters in their houses. (Related: Germany prepping nuclear bunkers as WWIII with Russia looms.)
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