Germany in March 2026: the most important developments in security
Security in Germany in March 2026 was marked by incidents in Berlin and by the fallout of the Iran war. On 24 March police carried out raids in Berlin and other cities over an arson attack on the Berlin power grid last September, after which a widespread outage occurred; authorities described it as a suspected left-wing extremist attack. Overnight arson attacks on vehicles and buildings hit Berlin on 16 March, and Berlin's main airport was briefly closed on 11 March for security reasons, with authorities giving no details. A Berlin court also sentenced four men to long prison terms over a Hamas weapons cache, and police investigated a Turkish criminal group accused of extorting Berlin businesspeople.
The Iran war reached German interests directly. German military bases in Jordan and Iraq were attacked on 1 March, and Iran claimed responsibility; satellite images later showed extensive damage at the base in Jordan. Officials said there was no immediate threat to Germany and that the Bundeswehr would not join the war. Evacuation flights from Iran landed in Frankfurt. On the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius first warned against German participation in an international mission, then said on 26 March that Germany might join one. Germany also delivered a new Patriot air defence system to Ukraine on 13 March, while Ukraine's president said partners were diverting such systems to the Middle East.
The armed forces were the third theme. Military ombudsman Eva Högl called the Bundeswehr's structure top-heavy and named personnel shortages its biggest problem. Applications later rose by over 20 percent, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz pushed a 600 billion euro defence fund. The navy sought stock frigates from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems as a fallback for the delayed F126 programme, and Rheinmetall won a frigate contract with delivery expected by 2031.
Russia featured in several reports. Germany and Spain arrested people suspected of spying for Russia, and Ukrainian trainers are to help prepare German forces. Merz said Ukraine no longer needs Taurus cruise missiles, and Germany temporarily eased restrictions on weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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