Bundeswehr Prepares for Up to 1,000 Wounded Daily in Potential NATO-Russia Conflict
BERLIN – The German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) are preparing to handle up to 1,000 wounded soldiers daily in the event of a war between NATO and Russia,according to General Service doctor Ralf Hoffmann. The preparations come amid warnings from military alliance and Western intelligence agencies suggesting a potential Russian attack capability by 2029, claims Moscow denies.
Hoffmann stated in a recent interview wiht Reuters, “A thousand a day is such a magnitude that we are talking about realistically.” The plan involves initial first aid at the front lines followed by transport to Germany for further treatment, primarily utilizing civilian hospitals.
Approximately 15,000 hospital beds would be required to accommodate this influx of casualties, representing a small fraction of Germany’s total capacity of up to 440,000 beds. The Bundeswehr is currently working to rebuild its transport capabilities, exploring options including hospital trains, buses, and expanded air evacuation. “We cannot predict exactly, you can fly, you can go over the sea,” Hoffmann explained. “And that is why my goal is that for all ways of transport, we are…to get hospital trains and buses again and expand the evacuation from the air.”
Lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine, the largest European conflict as World War II, are informing these preparations. Hoffmann noted a shift in the nature of warfare, with explosion and combustion wounds from drones now predominating over traditional gunshot injuries.He highlighted the challenges of evacuating wounded soldiers from the front lines in Ukraine, where a “death zone” of approximately ten kilometers on either side of the front line hinders rapid removal due to pervasive drone activity.
To bolster resilience, military hospitals are reactivating bunkers, acknowledging the possibility of attacks on healthcare facilities. The Bundeswehr’s medical service, currently comprised of 15,000 personnel, is also slated for expansion. ”We are good quality, we are not yet quantitative,” Hoffmann said.