Germany braces for mass casualty medical response as Russia threat looms
global.espreso.tv
Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:26:00 +0300

Reuters reported the information.Amid warnings that Moscow could be capable of launching an attack on the alliance as early as 2029, the German armed forces are developing plans to handle a massive influx of casualties. While Moscow has denied any intention of preparing for war with NATO, recent incursions by Russian aircraft into alliance territory have heightened fears of a potential escalation.The planning figures reflect the brutal reality of modern warfare, as seen in Ukraine. "Realistically, we are talking about a figure of around 1,000 wounded troops per day," Germany's Surgeon General, Ralf Hoffmann, said. He noted the final number would depend on the intensity of the fighting.The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has served as a catalyst for European militaries to ramp up preparations. Germany is closely studying the conflict to adapt its medical training and logistics. "The nature of warfare has changed dramatically in Ukraine," Hoffmann said, pointing to a significant increase in severe blast wounds and burns from drones, a departure from the gunshot injuries that dominated past conflicts.Lessons from the front lines in Ukraine, where a roughly 20-kilometer-wide 'kill zone' is heavily monitored by drones, have highlighted extreme difficulties in evacuating the injured."The Ukrainians often cannot evacuate their wounded fast enough because drones are buzzing overhead everywhere," Hoffmann explained. This reality necessitates prolonged medical stabilization of soldiers directly at the front, sometimes for hours.In response, the German military is exploring more flexible transport options, including hospital trains and buses, and expanding its capacity for medical evacuation by air. According to the plan, wounded soldiers would receive initial treatment near the front before being transported to Germany, where they would be cared for primarily in civilian hospitals. Hoffmann estimated a need for around 15,000 beds from the country's total hospital capacity to handle such a crisis.
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