The key facts

  • KSK commander General Andreas Kühne told Bild that the special forces are orienting toward Russia as the primary adversary
  • The units are preparing for prolonged operations behind enemy lines instead of multi-day raids
  • The KSK detachment is to enter combat before the 45th Tank Brigade, which Germany is deploying in Lithuania

German special forces change the nature of their training

Germany's Special Forces Command (KSK) has begun preparing for a possible conflict with Russia. An article with excerpts from an interview with the commander of the Special Operations Forces, Brigadier General Andreas Kühne, was published on the morning of October 27 in the German outlet Bild. Instead of multi-day raids, the soldiers are now training to remain in field conditions for considerably longer periods.

What exactly is changing

“We have focused on the primary adversary — Russia,” the military commander told the outlet. According to him, the elite special forces unit is undergoing training that involves a shift from three-day practical exercises to operations in which soldiers will have to stay deep behind enemy lines for extended periods. This concerns a scenario of combat operations on NATO's eastern flank in the event of a war with Russia.

Expected conditions and role in the Lithuania grouping

The general suggested that the adversary would have tanks, artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare systems, and that combat operations could take place in severe cold. According to the plan, the KSK detachment is to enter combat before the 45th Tank Brigade, which Germany is deploying in Lithuania. Kühne also noted that the special forces have already demonstrated their capabilities during exercises in the Baltic states, and that Russia is aware of this.