Germany faces Russian claims of secret nuclear weapons development

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has warned that Germany may be pursuing a covert nuclear weapons program. According to a July 20 SVR statement, around thirty German universities are conducting advanced research in materials science, shock‑wave physics, nuclear and neutron physics, and that six of these institutions operate research reactors where practical experiments are carried out. The agency named the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Ruhr‑Universität Bochum, Ludwig‑Maximilians‑Universität München, RWTH Aachen and the Technical University of Berlin as part of this network.

The SVR further alleged that major German defense firms – including Rheinmetall AG, Diehl Stiftung GmbH, the KNDS Group and Umarex GmbH – are involved in projects related to high‑energy explosives and electronic fuzing systems. It claimed Germany could produce fissile material within one to three months and design a functional nuclear warhead in about a year, without full testing. NATO allies have reportedly expressed concern over these activities. Germany remains a signatory to the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty and hosts U.S. B61 tactical nuclear bombs under NATO nuclear sharing, but no German nuclear weapons are officially acknowledged.

The SVR’s assessment highlights heightened tensions over European security and raises questions about Germany’s technical capacity and its political alignment within NATO.