Britain and Germany are preparing to launch a new security partnership aimed at strengthening their ability to detect, deter and disrupt sabotage and cyberattacks targeting critical
infrastructure, as Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Thursday.
The initiative is expected to deepen cooperation between the two countries at a time when both governments are increasingly focused on what they describe as a growing hybrid threat from Russia.
Under the new partnership, British and German authorities will exchange intelligence and other information, coordinate responses and work more closely to identify potential threats to vital infrastructure. The cooperation will cover both cyber operations and physical acts of sabotage, Downing Street said.
The agreement reflects growing concern across Europe that hostile states are using methods that fall below the threshold of conventional military conflict to undermine national security. These tactics can include cyber intrusions, disruption of critical services, covert sabotage and other forms of interference.
The UK government has repeatedly warned that Russia and other adversaries are expanding their use of hybrid methods against European countries. British ministers were also due last month to brief defence companies and operators of critical national infrastructure on the risks associated with Russian activity.
Germany has issued similarly stark warnings. The country's foreign intelligence chief said on Monday that the confrontation with Russia had entered "a new, more dangerous dimension", highlighting concerns over the escalation of hostile activities against European states.
The latest initiative also follows a German investigation into an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August. Berlin said last month that it had concluded that Russia was responsible for the incident, further intensifying concerns about potential attacks on strategically important infrastructure.
The new British-German framework is intended to improve coordination before threats materialise, while also ensuring a faster and more unified response when incidents occur.
The partnership comes as London and Berlin seek to strengthen their broader security relationship and encourage closer European cooperation in response to increasingly sophisticated cyber and hybrid threats. Photo by Michael, Wikimedia commons.
