Germany has warned that as many as 1,000 of its soldiers could be wounded each day if Russia were to launch a war against NATO.
The warning comes amid heightened tensions, with Russian fighter jets and drones recently entering Polish, Romanian, and Estonian airspace.
Germany’s Surgeon General, Ralf Hoffmann, said the number of casualties would depend on the scale of any fighting but estimated around 1,000 daily injuries in a major conflict. Drawing from Ukraine’s experience, Hoffmann said Europe is boosting military readiness by increasing defense spending, considering a return to conscription, and expanding medical infrastructure.
He noted that modern warfare now produces more blast injuries and burns from drones and loitering munitions than gunshot wounds, making casualty evacuation more difficult. He stressed the need for hospital trains, buses, and air evacuation, with frontline treatment followed by transfer to German civilian hospitals. Around 15,000 hospital beds would be reserved for wounded soldiers.
The warning follows Estonia’s report that three Russian MiG-31 jets violated its airspace on September 19, staying for 12 minutes before being forced out. NATO has been alerted and consultations under Article 4 are ongoing.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed Estonia’s allegations as “empty” and accused the Baltic state of raising tensions.
