German spy chief claims ‘Russia preparing for war with West’

Germany's intelligence chief has claimed that Russia is actively preparing for a military conflict with NATO within the next five years.

"Russia is preparing for a war with the West," Bruno Kahl, head of the foreign intelligence agency BND, told a gathering late Wednesday at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

According to the BND's information, he said, Russia is currently undertaking its biggest restructuring of its armed forces since 2008, and heavily investing in advanced weapons systems.

"Our intelligence shows that, in addition to structural changes such as the re-organization of the military districts, there is also a comprehensive increase in the land forces, which has always been a key category for the Russians," he said.

"For this purpose, the Kremlin recruits several hundred thousand soldiers every year, significantly more than the annual losses in the Ukraine war. The planned total personnel strength of the Russian armed forces of one and a half million troops will probably be reached in the next few years," he added.

Kahl also underlined that Russia's defense investments were now significantly outpacing what European states were investing all together. He claimed that Russia's massive military preparations were primarily directed toward NATO's eastern border.

"Moscow is not only pursuing the goal of rebuilding its military capabilities beyond pre-war strength but also a significant increase in its conventional forces and resources. The Russian armed forces will probably be in a position, in terms of personnel and materiel, to launch an attack against NATO by the end of the decade," he said.