BERLIN — The head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service said Thursday that levels of espionage are as high as during the Cold War, or even higher.
Thomas Haldenwang, president of the BfV intelligence agency, also warned of the increased risk of sabotage against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Germany has exposed a number of Russian spies operating in the country in recent years.
“Today, we assess the level of espionage against Germany at least at the level of the Cold War — if not significantly higher,” Haldenwang said at an event in Berlin.
He predicted that “in a world of open hostilities and drastic sanctions, the inhibition threshold for espionage, sabotage and illegitimate influence will continue to fall.”