German poll shows majority view Russia as security threat amid sabotage attacks
A recent poll indicates 56% of Germans consider Russia a security threat as sabotage incidents target critical infrastructure ahead of key state elections.
A series of sabotage incidents - a drone attack on Leipzig Airport, arson near Bavarian defence firms, and explosive devices at substations in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia - have led Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt to accuse Russia of destabilising Germany. In a Deutschlandtrend poll conducted for ARD between Aug. 31 and Sep. 2, 56% of respondents said Russia endangers the nation’s security, though the sentiment is weaker in eastern states where nearly half feel little threat.
The survey also revealed deep divisions over military aid to Ukraine, with a slight majority supporting it but around 40% thinking it goes too far, especially among eastern voters and AfD supporters. The AfD leads in the upcoming Saxony-Anhalt state election and would capture roughly 27% in a hypothetical national vote, outpacing the CDU/CSU at 21%. Confidence in the governing coalition is low, with only 15% satisfied with its performance and Chancellor Merz receiving just 13% approval.
Why it matters
Public fear of Russian aggression shapes German security policy and upcoming elections.
How this story developed
- Aug 14 Russia claims strikes on Ukrainian rail hub and vessels as drones hit Russian ports
- Sep 1 Sixth consecutive day of Russian missile and drone attacks kills at least 12 in the Kyiv region.
- Sep 1 Germany formally attributes the Leipzig airport drone incident to Russia.
- Sep 2 Germany scheduled the Russian consulate in Bonn to close on Sept 18.
- Sep 2 Three explosive‑laden drones were found near Leipzig/Halle Airport, one near a Ukrainian cargo plane.
- Sep 2 EU announced additional sanctions targeting another 1,600 entities and discussed stricter visa rules for Russian tourists.
- Sep 3 Norwegian authorities seized the Russian vessel Professor Molchanov in Svalbard after Russia failed to pay a $4.22 billion award to Ukraine’s Naftogaz for seized Crimean assets.
- Sep 3 Vladimir Putin said the Russian Far East has seen a surge in capital inflows and a three-fold rise in output, and he urged extending child-birth benefits there until 2030.
- Sep 3 A Nord‑Troms district court order issued on August 31 authorized the ship’s detention.
- Sep 3 Police discovered an unexploded incendiary device at a Brandenburg substation.
- Sep 3 A missile strike on an Odesa residential tower injured seventeen people, including three children.
- Sep 3 Putin highlighted fuel shortages and long queues caused by Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian infrastructure.
- Sep 4 Kyiv residents report nonstop air‑raid sirens and new coping strategies, and a six‑storey apartment block was partially collapsed with seven injured.
- Sep 4 Police uncovered a suspicious object near Ganderkesee and homemade devices at a Dormagen substation.
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