Germany Rebuilds Scandal-Hit KSK Commandos for Potential Conflict with Russia

By Staff, Agencies

Germany’s Special Operations Command [KSK] has revamped its training to prepare for a potential confrontation with Russia, according to a BILD report cited by UNN.

KSK commander Andreas Kuhne said the unit’s training now focuses on facing an adversary equipped with tanks, artillery, drones, and electronic warfare systems.

Troops are also preparing for extended missions behind enemy lines and operations in extreme cold, reflecting potential conditions along NATO’s eastern flank.

Based at Zeppelin Barracks in Calw near Stuttgart, the KSK employs around 1,500 personnel, roughly one-third of whom serve as frontline commandos. Only about 15% of applicants reportedly pass its demanding selection process.

The overhaul follows a series of scandals that threatened the unit’s future, including alleged links to far-right extremists, Nazi-related incidents, missing ammunition, and the discovery of weapons and explosives at a soldier’s home. In 2020, one KSK company was disbanded in response.

Meanwhile, Germany’s foreign intelligence chief, Martin Jager, has warned that the possibility of a direct armed confrontation between Germany and Russia is real.