Bild has published a theoretical plan for Russia's attack on NATO in four stages
The German magazine Bild has published a theoretical scenario of Russia's attack on NATO. Based on the document, the war can consist of four phases: a covert disinformation campaign and cyber attacks; the concentration of troops at the borders; the attack itself and then a "global conflict" that will unfold even in space. The authors of the document call this scenario a "plausible scenario."
The German government has developed a hypothetical plan that Russia can adhere to when attacking NATO countries. The document is published by Bild.
The document occupies 13 pages, it is called "Risk Analysis for civil defense". It describes the process of the threat before the outbreak of war and the possible consequences.
According to the authors of the document, Russia's attack will be "a fundamental change in the security situation for the whole of Europe." They call this scenario a "plausible scenario."
According to the document, Russia's attack on NATO will be divided into four phases.
The first phase
Russia will deploy a disinformation campaign in the media, social networks and other methods to "split the population, destabilize society and undermine confidence in free democracy."
At this stage, cyber attacks and attacks on critical infrastructure facilities are also expected: power plants, power lines, dams, etc.
It is assumed that Russia will act covertly at this stage, "therefore, individual operations cannot be unambiguously attributed" to a specific state or special service.
The second phase
At this stage, Russia, according to the authors of the document, will concentrate its troops at the borders of the North Atlantic Alliance. NATO members will respond by deploying their own troops on the eastern border.
Cases of sabotage and cyber attacks will become more frequent at this stage, espionage will increase, attempts to disable satellites are possible in order to delay the advance of NATO units to the set boundaries.
The Russian army can attack nuclear reactors, chemical plants and hydraulic structures.
Already in the second phase, refugees may appear in Europe.
The third phase
The stage of direct attack is when Russia will strike with "conventional and non-conventional" weapons on the territory of the Alliance.
It is assumed that many space satellites will be disabled.
The fourth phase
Russian troops will break deep into Europe, all the way to Germany. The fighting will take place on land, at sea, and in the air. The "global conflict" will even affect outer space.
According to the authors of the report, Russia will be ready to use biological, chemical and tactical nuclear weapons. At an altitude of 50 kilometers, the drafters of the document expect Russia to use some kind of nuclear electromagnetic pulse that will disable all electronic devices.
This is the second plan of attack from Bild
In January, Bild already talked about a similar scenario, according to which Russia is going to attack NATO in 2025, after defeating the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This scenario is allegedly spelled out in a secret document of the German Ministry of Defense, which was at the disposal of Bild. And it claimed that Russia was going to resort to cyber attacks and "other forms of hybrid warfare", the use of large groups of troops.
Russia's plans to attack NATO countries were previously denied by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Why do we need these NATO countries? We don't need them - we never needed them, and we don't need them now, and we won't need them in the future," Putin said at a board meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry last December.
According to the head of state, the topic of the "Russian threat" is being promoted by the United States, which is afraid of losing the status of "master" in Europe.
"Complete nonsense," Putin commented to TV presenter Pavel Zarubin on the warning of US President Joe Biden about the threat of a Russian attack on NATO in the event of victory in Ukraine.
According to the head of state, Russia has "no reason, no interest - no geopolitical interest, no economic, no political, no military" to fight with NATO countries.
"There is no desire to spoil relations with them. We are interested in developing relations. Who are we having problems with? Yes, with no one," Vladimir Putin believes.
Alexey Permyakov