Russia Claims Germany Running Secret Nuclear Weapons Program, Capable of Building a Warhead in a Year

Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, has accused Germany of conducting a covert nuclear weapons program, alleging that Berlin could produce a working nuclear device within a year. In a statement Monday, the SVR claimed a network of German research centers and defense contractors are engaged in specialized nuclear and shockwave physics projects, with at least one NATO government expressing concern.

The SVR named six universities — including Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and RWTH Aachen — as hosts for practical experiments on research reactors. The agency also cited defense companies Rheinmetall AG, Diehl Stiftung, KNDS Group, and Umarex GmbH as participants. According to the SVR’s assessment, Berlin could independently produce fissile material within one to three months and assemble a nuclear explosive device without full-scale testing.

Germany is a non-nuclear state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but hosts around 20 US B61 nuclear bombs at Buechel Air Base under NATO’s nuclear sharing program. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has recently announced German participation in nuclear exercises with France, marking a historic first. French President Emmanuel Macron described Germany as playing a ‘vanguard role’ in joint deterrence.

The SVR’s claims come amid rising tensions between Russia and NATO. President Vladimir Putin has warned of countermeasures if Europe militarizes further. There is no evidence Germany has violated the NPT, and German officials have not confirmed the allegations.

Article and image source: russiaherald.com