The German newspaper Bild reports today that an armed conflict between NATO and Russia is possible in the coming months. Bild refers to a secret document of the German Armed Forces, according to which Russia will invade the Baltic states of NATO as early as July.
The German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) are preparing for a possible hybrid attack by Russia on NATO's eastern flank this February, Bild writes.
The first escalation between NATO and Russia is expected as early as February, according to a secret Bundeswehr document.
The confidential document details how a conflict could arise between Russia and NATO as the situation worsens month by month. The climax involves the deployment of hundreds of thousands of NATO troops and the start of war in the summer of 2025.
Bild's reporting constructs a scenario for war that focuses on security and avoids specifics about the number and movement of NATO troops.
The Bundeswehr's "Defense Alliance 2023" scenario envisages Russian mobilization starting in February 2024, followed by a spring offensive in Ukraine and an attack on the Baltic states in July.
Cyber attacks and other forms of hybrid warfare are expected.
Tensions could peak in October with Russia, as the move of troops and missiles to Kaliningrad (a Russian enclave in Poland) begins.
According to the article, Russia may repeat the 2014 invasion of Ukraine on NATO territory with the support of Belarus, after the US elections, when the United States may be left without a leader.
The scenario ends 30 days after D-Day, when NATO, including the Bundeswehr, deploys significant military forces on the eastern flank.
The reaction from Moscow was also immediate.
"Bild does not hesitate to write hoaxes, so I would prefer not to comment," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a response to reporters who asked him for a reaction to the German newspaper's article.
The fear of the expansion of the conflict in Ukraine comes at a time when the authorities in Sweden issued the alarm that war could break out in the Nordic country. Army Chief of Staff General Micael Biden called on citizens to voluntarily join defense organizations for a possible armed conflict instigated by Russia.
The fear of the countries that are close to the state led by Vladimir Putin is also increased by the fact that his army has intensified attacks in Ukraine.
"If Kiev uses long-range missiles supplied by the West against launch sites in Russia, Moscow may respond with nuclear weapons." This was announced a few days ago by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.