From: slider@anashram.com   
      
   A report from German Intelligence has warned of a potential ‘test attack’   
   against NATO from Russian forces.   
      
   The German Federal Intelligence Service has warned Russia’s government is   
   preparing for ‘large-scale war’ against NATO as tensions with the West   
   reach a boiling point.   
      
   It comes as peace talks with Ukraine have seemingly stalled after both   
   Russia and Ukraine accused one another of breaking a tentative ceasefire   
   in the Black Sea.   
      
   The report warned: ‘Russia’s military spending is increasing at a record   
   pace—expected to reach approximately £100 billion in 2025, exceeding 6% of   
   GDP.   
      
   ‘Compared to 2021, the defence budget has effectively quadrupled. The   
   Kremlin plans to expand its army to 1.5 million personnel and increase   
   military assets along NATO’s borders by 30-50%.’   
      
   Lithuania’s intelligence service added that Moscow might attempt to ‘test   
   NATO’ through a smaller ‘military operation’ to see how the alliance   
   responds.   
      
   Earlier this week, a retired British Army general warned the UK might have   
   less than two years to prepare for a war with Russia.   
      
   General Sir Richard Shirreff thinks Russian tanks will ‘roll across the   
   border into Estonia and Latvia’.   
      
   Writing for MailOnline, he said: ‘Within four hours they are approaching   
   the Estonian capital of Tallinn. The British-led Enhanced Forward Battle   
   Group in Estonia puts up brief resistance but takes heavy losses before   
   being overwhelmed and forced to withdraw.’   
      
   Russia could fire its missiles at RAF bases in England and other targets   
   in Western European countries, which launch retaliatory strikes on Russian   
   energy and military infrastructure while sending reinforcements to the   
   Baltic states.   
      
   In February, Metro joined thousands of troops for NATO’s ‘most intense’   
   war drills on Putin’s doorstep.   
      
   Metro travelled to Smârdan, NATO’s Romanian military base, just a handful   
   of miles from the borders of neighbouring Ukraine and Moldova, to witness   
   drills for a possible invasion by Russia.   
      
   There have been warnings of increased Russian aggression for a decade now   
   (Picture: AP)   
   Nato officials in Smârdan told Metro that the continent is facing the most   
   precarious environment in decades in the face of Russian aggression.   
      
   Commander Carl Howard, chief media operations at JFC Naples, stressed how   
   important this exercise of supporting the eastern flank is as Europe moves   
   towards a ‘war mentality’.   
      
   Speaking about the preparedness of UK forces, he said: ‘We have managed to   
   get 10,000 troops here, rapidly at the border near Ukraine.   
      
   ‘British soldiers are very professional. I am at the end of my 36-year   
   career and I am blown away by their professionalism.   
      
   ‘This is a great showcase of putting Britain on the map front and centre   
   for a very, very important Nato exercise.’   
      
   https://metro.co.uk/2025/03/29/warning-potential-attack-russia-nato-22815191/   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)