Latest news with #JanChristianKaack
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German Navy inspector says Russian Navy increasingly aggressive
German Navy Inspector Jan Christian Kaack has warned of increasingly aggressive behaviour by the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. This increases "the risk of escalation," the vice admiral said in Berlin during the presentation of plans for higher operational readiness of the German naval forces. "The threat has increased significantly, and we are all certain that we must be ready for defence and deterrence before '29 to prevent any further escalation," said Kaack, without going into detail about recent incidents. As examples of the increasingly tense situation, the inspector pointed to "massive armament, war production in Russia, sabotage, intrusion and espionage attempts in Germany on ships and bases." He also mentioned drone overflights and the destruction of sea cables. Kaack explained plans for new and additional weapon systems and the use of automated systems and artificial intelligence. Two threat areas - the North Atlantic and adjacent sea areas, as well as the Baltic Sea - play a particularly important role, he said. It is necessary to respond decisively, swiftly, and with steps "that are also understood by Russia, now until 2029 and into the 30s and 40s."
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
Germany said its warships were sabotaged after a report that metal shavings were dumped in a corvette's engine system
Germany's top naval officer said "more than one" of its warships were recently sabotaged. His comment follows a local report that a German corvette had metal shavings poured into its engine system. Without expressly accusing any party, the German naval chief warned of a growing threat from Russia. Germany's naval chief said on Tuesday that several of Berlin's warships were sabotaged. Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack, the inspector of the German navy, said at a press conference on Tuesday that the damage involved "more than one unit." Kaack also said there had been attempted break-ins at German naval bases via land and sea, and he spoke of "attempts to approach" uniformed personnel while they were heading home. The vice admiral did not give further details on the sabotage attempts or explicitly say who was behind them. But Kaack issued a general warning about Moscow while speaking with reporters. "The growing threat from Russia is more urgent at the beginning of 2025 than it was two years ago," he said. Kaack's comments follow a report published on Monday by the local outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung, which said that German police were investigating an incident at a Hamburg shipyard where several dozen kilograms of metal shavings were dumped into a corvette's engine system. Per the joint report from broadcasters WDR and NDR, the corvette was a brand-new vessel called the "Emden" awaiting delivery to the German military. It's scheduled for deployment to the Baltic Sea, the outlets reported. Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote that if the shavings hadn't been detected during an inspection, they would have caused significant damage to the ship. At Tuesday's press conference, Kaack was asked to address Süddeutsche Zeitung's report, but he did not directly confirm the "Emden" incident when speaking about sabotage. The "Emden" is one of the five new K130 corvettes that Germany ordered for delivery in 2025 to fulfill its NATO requirements. Naval Vessels Lürssen, the company responsible for building the ships in Hamburg, told Agence France-Presse that the "Emden" had recently completed a "successful sea trial." It did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. Germany is already on high alert for sabotage attempts after multiple incidents in the last two years that include a package catching fire on a plane and a fire at an ammunition factory in Berlin. More recently, a German ammo factory in Spain was hit by an explosion in late January that injured six workers. German authorities have repeatedly suggested that Russia is the prime suspect, but are still investigating many of these cases. Ukraine's allies have accused Russia of waging a "hybrid war" against the West, with reports of an attempted assassination against a defense contractor CEO and the growing assessment that Russia-linked oil tankers damaged undersea infrastructure cables in the Baltic Sea. The Russian government and the German navy did not respond to requests for comment from BI, sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia Today
12-02-2025
- Russia Today
Germany probes warship ‘sabotage'
Germany has launched an investigation into potential sabotage involving a newly commissioned warship after several dozen kilograms of metal shavings were discovered in its engine system, local media reported on Tuesday. The issue with the corvette-class Emden was reportedly discovered during an inspection at a shipyard in Hamburg last month shortly before its first departure, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung and the broadcasters NDR and WDR. The 89-meter-long warship, intended for deployment in the Baltic Sea, had not yet been delivered to the German Navy when the metal shavings were discovered. This could have caused significant damage to the vessel if not detected in time, the report said. The German Navy has commissioned a total of five corvette-class ships, including the Emden, which is set to be used for maritime surveillance. READ MORE: NATO nation clears Russian-crewed ship in sabotage probe A shipyard spokesperson told the media that the Emden recently completed 'a successful sea trial,' but declined to comment further. The incident is now under investigation by the Hamburg regional prosecutor's office and the local criminal police. While the report did not provide evidence linking Moscow to the incident, it claimed that Germany, along with other NATO countries, suspects Russia could be behind covert actions targeting the West. The article cited a recent police investigation into drone sightings over a northern German air base where Ukrainian forces are trained, claiming the incident is part of a growing trend of drones being spotted over military and industrial sites in Germany. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, German Navy Chief Jan Christian Kaack refrained from commenting on the sabotage allegations regarding the Emden, but stated that several German warships had previously sustained damage due to acts of sabotage. 'Our assessment: We are being tested,' he said, without specifying who the Navy suspects to be responsible for these acts. 'The growing threat from Russia is more pressing at the beginning of 2025 than it was two years ago,' Kaack said. 'Experts and intelligence services agree that Russia will be in a position to seek conflict with NATO from 2029 onwards,' he added. READ MORE: NATO steps up patrols in Baltic Sea Russia has denied having any intention of attacking NATO states, with President Vladimir Putin describing warnings about Russian aggression as 'nonsense' aimed at alarming citizens and increasing defense budgets in the West. The warship case follows a string of incidents involving damage to critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, with speculation that Russia could have played a role. Western officials have refrained, however, from making direct accusations. Moscow has dismissed allegations of its involvement as 'absurd.' Meanwhile, NATO has increased its Baltic Sea presence and stepped up patrols in the region on the pretext of an alleged Russian threat and protecting undersea infrastructure. The Baltic Sea – a strategic area for Russian naval operations and energy exports – became, as Moscow put it, an 'internal lake of NATO' after Finland and Sweden joined the alliance, which left Russia controlling only a small portion of the coastline.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German warships target of sabotage, navy chief warns
Several German warships have been damaged by acts of sabotage, the inspector of the country's navy said on Tuesday. "Destruction" as a result of sabotage has been recorded "on more than one unit," Jan Christian Kaack said during a press conference in Berlin. Kaack did not comment on a report by broadcasters WDR, NDR and the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper suggesting that a new corvette built in Hamburg had been targeted by sabotage ahead of its delivery to the navy. According to the report, several kilograms of metal shavings were discovered in the drive of the corvette Emden during a check in January, which could have caused serious damage had it not been detected. Besides attempted sabotage to navy vessels, navy commander Kaack reported of intrusions into naval bases from land and sea as well as attempts to approach soldiers in uniform on their way home. "Our assessment: We are being tested," he said, without specifying who the navy thinks is behind these acts. He spoke of attempts "to unsettle our society, both nationally and in the [NATO] alliance," adding the acts "are possibly creating the basis for later active military activities." The German navy introduced measures to counteract acts of sabotage in 2022, including putting mine defence forces on higher readiness, according to the navy chief. "The growing threat from Russia is more pressing at the beginning of 2025 than it was two years ago," Kaack said. "Experts and intelligence services agree that Russia will be in a position to seek conflict with NATO from 2029 onwards," he added. Kaack said he had initiated a strategic expansion of current plans for the navy. "We have no time to lose. In the next few weeks, we will first coordinate the necessary measures internally and then make them public. We have a lot to do."
