Germany faces "shadow war" that goes beyond Cold War threats - minister

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned on Monday that a "shadow war" facing Germany is more far reaching than the Cold War ⁠was, arguing that the ⁠threat underscores the need to strengthen the country's BfV domestic intelligence agency.

"The shadow war we are witnessing today has ⁠an objective that extends far beyond anything seen during the Cold War," Dobrindt said at a BfV press conference in Berlin.

"Its clear aim is to destabilise us - to destabilise us fundamentally," he said, without directly naming Russia.

His comments echo warnings by Germany's head of foreign intelligence, the BND, this month ⁠that ⁠Germany is at risk of entering a violent conflict with Moscow.

Calls to expand Germany's intelligence powers have gained urgency since a failed attack involving an explosives-laden drone at a German airport in August, which authorities blamed on Russia.

The government's reform bill, which would ⁠give intelligence services broader powers including the ability to take active defensive measures, is currently being examined by parliamentary committees after a first reading in September.

"Germany cannot be a second- or third-rate player when it comes to developing services ⁠and ‌capabilities; ‌we must remain at the forefront, given ⁠the challenges we face," ‌Dobrindt said.

Created after World War Two, when memories of the Nazi regime ⁠were still fresh, the German ⁠services have traditionally been more constrained than ⁠those of allies such as France, Britain or the US.