Under the approved reform legislation, Germany's foreign intelligence agency Bundesnachrichtendienst is granted expanded operational authority to conduct cyberattacks and sabotage against adversary infrastructure abroad

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Lawmakers from Alternative for Germany and Die Linke voted against the intelligence reform bill on November 13, 2026, as Die Linke expressed concerns over privacy erosion and excessive state surveillance

Under the approved reform legislation, Germany's domestic intelligence agency Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is authorized to execute technical intervention measures inside Germany, including deleting stolen data from adversary servers

In a parliamentary motion, opposition party Die Linke argued that granting technical intervention powers to domestic intelligence risks unconstitutional mass surveillance and creating a secret police force

Körber-Stiftung programme director Florian Bigge cited Russian sabotage, cyberattacks, and declining United States intelligence sharing as primary catalysts for expanding German spy agency powers

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told lawmakers that Germany serves as an operational theater for terrorism, extremism, and foreign powers

The legal separation of intelligence gathering and police work in Germany was established to prevent abuses experienced under the Nazi Gestapo and the East German Stasi secret police

German authorities accused Russia of attempting an August 2026 attack after finding an explosive-laden drone incorporating Russian technology near an Antonov Airlines plane at Leipzig-Halle airport

German intelligence agencies were historically restricted primarily to information gathering and analysis, preventing agencies from actively disrupting threats even when identified

Bundesnachrichtendienst chief Martin Jaeger warned that Russia is conducting a shadow war against Germany using drones, espionage, sabotage, and disinformation

Following Germany's accusations over the Leipzig-Halle airport drone incident, Germany closed Russia's Bonn consulate and Berlin cultural center, while Russia closed a German consulate in St. Petersburg and the Goethe-Institut

The German intelligence reform legislation approved by the Bundestag prohibits targeted assassinations while expanding data interception and retention powers

Körber-Stiftung director Florian Bigge stated that Germany's foreign intelligence agency had publicly sought expanded powers since 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the European Union and NATO represent Europe's only real security

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Russian demands for a broad agreement redrawing European security architecture before ending the war in Ukraine, warning such proposals could trigger further escalations

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned on November 13, 2026 that Russian demands to negotiate Europe's security architecture were traps intended to divert attention from establishing a ceasefire

French President Emmanuel Macron stated on November 12, 2026 that European security decisions must be made by Europeans and that support for Ukraine depends on European backing

Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky supported a broader security arrangement with Europe while criticizing European leaders

Lithuanian intelligence services previously attributed an October 2023 campaign of false bomb threats against 1,500 schools and kindergartens in Lithuania to Russia

Hacker groups Belarusian Cyberpartisans and Silent Crow launched a cyberattack targeting Rosstat's IT infrastructure between October 29 and November 1, 2026

Following the cyberattack between October 29 and November 1, 2026, Rosstat reported disruptions to its services and extended deadlines for submitting statistical data