Germany plans a Russian chemical attack on its cities and a ground invasion by Putin’s forces

Vladimir Putin could use chemical weapons on German cities and launch an invasion that would result in a full-scale “land, sea and air” war between Nato and Russia, Germany has warned as it steps up its contingency plans for a global conflict.

German parliamentarians received a 14-page report outlining how Moscow could wage war against Berlin and its allies in four stages, culminating in a ground invasion of the NATO member state.

The report does not name the intended aggressor, but bases its assessment on lessons learned from Russia’s war in Ukraine, where classic warfare techniques have been combined with less conventional methods such as cyberattacks and sabotage.

“An attack by an aggressor – hybrid and/or using the entire arsenal of modern armed forces in all dimensions (land, air/space, sea, cyber and information) on NATO territory – is, therefore, an probable scenario,” the report says.

It comes after Germany’s Defense Minister warned that Russia could attack NATO within five to eight years and as alliance forces take part in joint military exercises in Eastern Europe, the largest since the Cold War.

The four stages set out in the Civil Defense Risk Analysis report span several years, with the Bundestag predicting how information wars could escalate into full-blown armed conflict in the heart of Europe.

The first phase, he suggests, would last several years and would see espionage and sabotage, attacks on defense facilities and disinformation campaigns mounted on social media in an attempt to undermine German democracy and destabilize society.

In the second phase, Moscow would deploy its forces to NATO’s eastern borders, with NATO forces deployed as a deterrent measure in response to the growing threat.

After several months, in the third phase Russia would launch a conventional military assault against NATO members in the east, in addition to attacking specific targets deeper within the Western military alliance, such as Germany.

These attacks would involve conventional and unconventional methods and could result in the destruction of satellites in space. Pravda reports.

In the fourth and final phase, attacking troops would break through NATO defensive lines and invade Germany. Armed confrontation in space is also possible.

A full-scale war would engulf Europe and could only end with a ceasefire agreement “no sooner than a few months later,” the report predicts.

It also suggests there could be a repeat of the Salisbury poisonings and the attempted assassination of opposition leader Alexei Navalny four years before he died in a Russian prison.

“The experience of recent years shows that a potential aggressor may be willing to use unconventional weapons,” he says.

“This was the case in Salisbury in 2018 and in Russia in 2020, where chemical attacks against people were carried out.”

Yesterday, Putin threatened to bomb the West while accusing NATO and the United States of “preparing to attack” Russia in his annual address to the nation.

The Russian president, 71, said: “They, NATO and the United States, are active in other parts of the world, of course, and they continue to lie there, deceive.”

‘They are preparing to attack our territory and, using the best possible forces, the most effective forces to do so.

“But we remember the fate of those who attempt to invade our territory, and of course their fate will be far more tragic than anything we can face.”

Putin repeatedly praised Russia’s nuclear arsenal in his speech, adding as a warning to the West: “You have to understand that we too have weapons, weapons that can defeat you on your own territory.”

“Of course, all this is very dangerous, because it could lead to the use of nuclear weapons.” Don’t you understand that?’

The Russian despot also assured that “strategic nuclear forces are in full state of readiness for guaranteed use,” but warned that the use of nuclear weapons would amount to the “destruction of civilization.”

Last month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a stark warning: “We have to keep in mind that Vladimir Putin will one day attack even a NATO country.”

“Our experts expect a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible,” he told Der Tagesspiegel newspaper, before adding: “At the moment I don’t think a Russian attack is likely.”

However, secret German Defense Ministry documents leaked in January revealed that the country is preparing for Vladimir Putin’s forces to attack NATO in 2025.

The documents constitute an apocalyptic step-by-step guide to how Russia could escalate the conflict in Ukraine into an all-out war in just 18 months.

Germany’s defense leaders are taking the threat from Moscow seriously, and the Bundeswehr is preparing for a hybrid Russian attack on NATO’s eastern flank by summer 2025.

The secret ‘Alliance Defense 2025’ document details how Russia will mobilize another 200,000 troops before launching a spring offensive against Ukrainian forces in the spring of this year.

According to the leaked documents, by June, amid declining support and weaponry from the West, Russia would achieve battlefield success and make significant advances through Ukraine.

Speaking to MailOnline, retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges warned that fears of all-out war are justified.

He said he believes that if nations do not take the threat from Russia “seriously” and act in “alliance,” then World War III could unfold in just 18 months.

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany spent decades retreating from its defense obligations, burdened by its heavily militaristic past and its consequences during the 20th century.

But the invasion changed Germany’s post-World War II pacifist policy, and it has since become the second-largest contributor of arms to Ukraine.