Covert Struggle against Germany: China's Part in Putin's Secret War Strategy
In recent years, Germany has found itself at the centre of a growing number of hybrid attacks, with both Russia and China suspected of engaging in such activities.
The most recent incident involving China occurred in early July 2025, when Germany accused Beijing of targeting a German "flying eye" surveillance plane with a laser during the EU naval operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea. This laser attack endangered German personnel and forced the cancellation of the affected flight, although subsequent security operations continued. Germany formally summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest these actions, underscoring the seriousness of the incident and the call for a shift in China policy to address increasing hybrid threats.
Prior to this, in the fall of 2021, the "Baden-Württemberg", a German frigate, was the victim of several Chinese laser attacks in the Taiwan Strait. Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven, a former Vice President of the Federal Intelligence Service, considered this unacceptable and saw it as a clear intimidation gesture.
The escalating tensions have led the Military Shield Service (MAD) to raise the alarm about the increasing aggression of foreign intelligence services against Germany. President Martina Rosenberg has warned that foreign intelligence services, particularly Russian, view Germany as a "logistical hub of the NATO" and an active alliance partner.
However, regarding the suspected involvement of China in the destruction of Baltic Sea undersea communication cables, no direct, confirmed public evidence links China to these sabotage actions against German or Baltic infrastructure. While concerns about hybrid tactics and espionage from both Russia and China exist broadly, with increased espionage and hybrid measures reported related to Russia, no definitive publicly corroborated intel appears in the search data specifically implicating China in Baltic cable incidents as of August 2025.
The German government is responding diplomatically to these provocations, indicating heightened tensions and concerns about hybrid threats from China and Russia. As new developments occur, official German or EU security statements would be key references for updates on Baltic cable sabotage or further hybrid attack attributions.
In addition to the laser attacks, hybrid attacks on Germany have been targeting critical infrastructure such as power lines, internet cables, harbors, train stations, roads, and hospitals. In the summer of 2024, a DHL air freight package caught fire in Leipzig, allegedly planned by the Russian military intelligence service GRU to cause an inferno. Drones over the Werdenfelser barracks in Murnau, Bavaria have caused a stir, with three sightings reported in the past few months, but the controller remains unknown.
The use of such tactics is intended to deliberately cause fear and anxiety, according to Freytag von Loringhoven, who sees China as a leading nation in the West. It is suspected that the captain of the "Yi Peng 3", a Chinese freighter, may have cut the Baltic Sea cables on behalf of Russia.
As Germany continues to navigate these complex geopolitical challenges, it remains vigilant in its efforts to protect its citizens and critical infrastructure from the threats posed by hybrid warfare.
- The escalating geopolitical tensions, involving nations like China and Russia, have shifted the focus of German politics to addressing increasing hybrid threats, as evidenced by the recent incident of a laser attack on a German surveillance plane during war-and-conflicts-related operations.
- Amidst the heightened concerns over hybrid attacks on critical infrastructure such as power lines, internet cables, harbors, and hospitals, general-news reports have highlighted an alleged Russian military intelligence operation targeting a DHL Air Freight package in Leipzig, aimed at causing fear and anxiety.
