Arson of Military Trucks in Germany Sparks Fears of Russian Hybrid Attack on NATO Territory

A fire that engulfed six Bundeswehr trucks in Erfurt over the weekend has become the latest focus of Russian propaganda, with state-affiliated Telegram channels claiming the incident as a deliberate act by Moscow. The fires broke out during the night of Sunday, June 22, at a facility associated with MAN, a civilian contractor working with the German armed forces. According to investigators, the fire appears to have been an act of arson. A criminal probe is ongoing.

Footage showing the blaze - captured before emergency services arrived - quickly surfaced online. Two photos showed the trucks intact, followed by a video from the same angle that captured the first moments of the fire. Flames were visibly erupting from the front axle areas, suggesting a coordinated ignition point. Four of the trucks were completely destroyed, and two others sustained damage.

Despite a lack of official confirmation from German authorities, Russian propaganda channels have portrayed the attack as a successful operation by Russian actors. According to these posts, the trucks were supposedly intended for Ukraine, and the arson was a strike against German support for Kyiv. One viral post stated, “In Erfurt, Germany, different military equipment from Ukraine is being repaired. Our people decided that this was not necessary and that Ukrainians did not need such equipment. So they simply burned it.”

The Bundeswehr, however, has not corroborated these claims. Public broadcaster MDR reported that there is no confirmation the vehicles were linked to military aid for Ukraine.

Nonetheless, Russian messaging channels have seized on the event. According to German outlet t-online, the word “Erfurt” appeared nearly 400 times across Russian Telegram accounts within just a few hours. The same photos and video clips were reposted every minute, generating over 1.2 million views by early evening.

June 22 carries historical weight - on that day in 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union - but Russian sources did not reference the anniversary in connection to the fire.

Germany’s criminal police and the Thuringian state criminal office are treating the case as arson. They confirmed that they are reviewing the authenticity of the footage and images being disseminated.

This is not an isolated case. Just two weeks earlier, another arson attack destroyed six Bundeswehr trucks in Soltau, Lower Saxony. That incident was accompanied by a letter claiming responsibility, reported by Norddeutscher Rundfunk. No such letter has been found in the Erfurt case so far.

In May, a radical left-wing group calling itself “Agenda2029” claimed responsibility for a separate attack in Berlin, using the Indymedia platform to declare that Germany was fueling global militarism and needed to be stopped through sabotage. Again, no connection to Erfurt has been established, but the pattern is raising concern.

The incident in Erfurt may represent more than just criminal vandalism. Intelligence services are reportedly considering whether this is part of a broader pattern of hybrid warfare. Some analysts suggest it could be a deliberate operation by Russian subversive actors on NATO soil, aimed at disrupting military logistics and undermining European unity over Ukraine.

In response, the German government has elevated the case to a matter of national priority. A spokesperson stated that the investigation is being treated with the highest urgency. Security measures at Bundeswehr-linked facilities across the country have been tightened.