German general prepares country for potential Russian attack within 2 to 3 years

Lieutenant General Gerald Funke, Chief of the Bundeswehr Joint Support Command Headquarters, has warned that Russia could attack NATO countries within the next two to three years, with Germany being at the centre of any conflict.

Source: European Pravda, citing Funke in an interview with The Times

Details: Funke highlighted that logistics would be one of the main challenges under a worst-case scenario. Tens of thousands of allied troops would need to be moved to the lines of contact in conditions where major road and rail routes may be damaged by Russian sabotage, cyberattacks or missile strikes.

"It's important for us to maintain Germany as a logistics hub and manage the supply lines for as long as possible as smoothly as possible, meaning that if one route fails we will have the option of using others instead," he said.

Another potential problem is the sheer number of those injured. The Bundeswehr operates five hospitals with a total of 1,800 beds, which could quickly be overwhelmed. To prepare, the Joint Support Command and the Federal Ministry of Health have divided the civilian hospital network into four sections that can be reserved for the wounded in a crisis.

Quote: "Whereas in Afghanistan I had a regrettably high but manageable number of wounded, I now have to plan for the possibility of a thousand injured personnel a day. The closer you look at it, the more complex it becomes and the harder it is to imagine."

Details: Funke's command, created after last year's major reorganisation of the German armed forces, is developing a modern version of the Cold War-era system for requisitioning lorries, wagons, supplies and personnel on a massive scale.

The general has also initiated "standby agreements" with Germany's Deutsche Bahn, national rail operator, ensuring trains for military transport can be deployed within three days of notification.

Another challenge, according to Funke, is Germany's legal framework. Certain military measures can only be activated if two-thirds of parliament approves a declaration of a "state of tension" or "state of national defence". Funke warned that this could be complicated given that more than a third of parliamentary seats are held by radical left-wing and Russia-friendly far-right parties.

Analysts noted that Germany might require too much time to transition from peacetime to crisis conditions. Funke added that the strict separation between peace and war is an outdated legacy of the 20th century, now challenged by the scale of modern hybrid warfare.

Background:

• In December 2025, the upper house of the German parliament, the Bundesrat, followed the Bundestag in approving legislation to modernise military service.
• Earlier, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said he expected the Bundeswehr to recruit 20,000 volunteers this year under the reform.
• In January, the Bundeswehr began sending questionnaires to 18-year-olds for selection into military service.

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