Pistorius appelle à une attention accrue
Le ministre allemand de la Défense, Boris Pistorius, a appelé à une vigilance accrue suite à des incidents suspects de sabotage au sein des Forces armées allemandes. "Nous avons réagi rapidement sur les deux sites, scellé les points d'accès, renforcé les contrôles, impliqué les autorités d'enquête et lancé des tests en laboratoire", a déclaré Pistorius à Spiegel. "Ces incidents montrent que nous devons rester vigilants."
La collecte de preuves sur les deux points de soutien touchés à Cologne-Wahn et Geilenkirchen a été terminée, a annoncé le ministère de la Défense jeudi. Les investigations se poursuivent, sans résultats partagés pour l'instant. À Cologne-Wahn, des soupçons de contamination de l'eau ont émergé mercredi, tandis qu'une tentative d'intrusion d'une personne inconnue a été déjouée à Geilenkirchen.
"We are, of course, reviewing our security measures and adjusting them as necessary," Pistorius said. "This process is already underway." Currently, there are no concrete indications of a connection between the two incidents in Cologne-Wahn and Geilenkirchen, the minister said. "Now, we must await further investigation results and act prudently. We trust in the proven cooperation with the relevant investigative authorities."
As of Thursday, there were no confirmed findings on potential perpetrators or motives. Some Bundestag experts had speculated that Russia could be behind the incidents. However, CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter stressed on Thursday in the Deutschlandfunk that this is all speculation. While the nature of the incidents does fit with Russia's modus operandi, other possibilities, such as perpetrators from Islamist or left-wing extremist backgrounds, cannot be ruled out.
"It's important now that we prepare for being in Russia's crosshairs," Kiesewetter said. "Russia sees us as a war target." Germany now needs a "change in national security strategy", he added, one that places greater emphasis on crisis anticipation and prevention. To achieve this, intelligence services must also be strengthened.
"The suspected cases of sabotage in Cologne-Wahn and Geilenkirchen have led to a thorough review of our security measures within the German Armed Forces," Pistorius stated. "Given these incidents, it's crucial that we remain vigilant and prepare for potential future threats, especially considering Russia's perceived views towards us."
