The Daily Populous Tuesday October 14th, 2025 night edition
Authored by kyivindependent.com and submitted by SunTzuXiJinping

Russia is ready to test European borders and escalate the current tensions into an open confrontation at any moment, German intelligence head Martin Jaeger told German lawmakers on Oct. 13.

"We can't simply wait and assume that a potential Russian attack won't come before 2029," Jaeger said. "We're already under fire today."

The comments echo warnings by Western officials about Moscow's escalating hybrid operations across Europe, including drone incursions, sabotage, and cyberattacks.

While NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Russia will be ready for an open military clash with the alliance in five years, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted that the ongoing hybrid campaign means Europe is already no longer at peace.

"Russia is concealing its true intentions, but in fact it's probing our borders," Jaeger told the Bundestag. "At best, Europe is in a state of cold peace — one that could flare into a hot confrontation at any moment."

The head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), who previously served as an ambassador to Kyiv, warned that Russia will interpret restraint as weakness, adding, "We must confront our adversaries wherever necessary."

Friction between NATO and Moscow has intensified since the allies rallied behind Kyiv after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Recent weeks saw the tensions surge further after Russian drones and aircraft repeatedly violated allied airspace. Suspicious drone sightings also caused disruptions to air traffic in Germany, Denmark, and Norway.

In early September, Polish and allied forces shot down several Russian drones over Poland's territory, marking the first such instance since the outbreak of Moscow's full-scale invasion.

The incursions prompted calls for strengthening allied defenses, while some NATO members urged downing Russian aircraft if necessary.

Candid_Frosting7002 on October 13rd, 2025 at 21:17 UTC »

Genuine quesiton, how are you guys keeping up with everything that's happening right now? There are so many news flying around each day and some speaking pure facts others being more provocative, any newsletter/site/tools you are using to keep up with things?

Firecracker048 on October 13rd, 2025 at 17:32 UTC »

I'll ask the question, with what?

Theyre barely winning in Ukraine, with their victories measured in meters. They can't do shit against Europe

0krizia on October 13rd, 2025 at 15:16 UTC »

Putin is losing, the battlefield is at a stand still, Russia spend far more than ukraine does on this was every month, only half of the refineries in Russia is operational and large parts of Russia struggle with gas at the pumps. Oil export don't bring the same income, due to refineries and lowering interest rates now to fund the war is risky since the Russian population is now feeling the war more than ever.

Putin desperately need a response from NATO he can frame aggressively to rally the Russian people and distract from the failure of his war campaign and so he have something to blame for the russian economy going down hill.

Best thing the west can to is to not respond and let ukrain have what it need to keep going.