Germany Reworks Special Forces Training for Possible War With Russia

Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, are overhauling the training of their special forces with a possible military conflict with Russia in mind. According to Latvijas Avīze on 27 October 2026, citing Ukrainian outlet Dialog.ua and the German newspaper Bild, the units are preparing for operations on NATO's eastern flank. NATO countries are currently reviewing their defence plans in light of security risks posed by Russia.

Skills being developed

Training focuses on fighting tanks and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as operating under electronic warfare conditions. Particular attention is also paid to operations in severe cold.

Mission planning is changing too. Tasks used to be planned for about three days, but soldiers are now preparing for considerably longer operations in the field. This points to preparation for more complex and prolonged missions.

Readiness to respond

Andreas Kiene, a representative of the Bundeswehr's Special Forces Command (KSK), said that in the event of war these soldiers would be among the first to join the fighting. According to him, four hours after receiving an order the troops would already be on an aircraft departing from Stuttgart with all necessary equipment. He added that Russia knows about this strike force.

Preparing for a possible conflict does not in itself mean that war is inevitable.

The situation in Ukraine

According to the news agency LETA, Russia attacked Ukraine overnight into Tuesday with Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles launched from Russia's Bryansk region and with 280 drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Kyiv was the main target. Two missiles were shot down, and 255 drones were downed or neutralised. Hits were recorded at 25 locations.

One woman was killed in Kyiv and at least 14 people were injured, including students in a university dormitory and two paramedics. Russia has stepped up attacks on Kyiv and other cities while Ukrainian forces are short of air defence ammunition. The US-made Patriot systems are considered the most effective defence against ballistic missiles, but Ukraine does not have enough ammunition for them.