Germany’s armed forces would not have even a full day to fight in the event of aggression against Russia, according to Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots. He pointed to the capabilities of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, claiming it could reach Berlin and other major German cities in less than 30 minutes.

His remarks came in response to an interview with Andreas Kühne, commander of Germany’s Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) special forces unit. Kühne said that if a military confrontation with Russia broke out, KSK troops would need to complete their missions before the Bundeswehr tank brigade stationed in Lithuania could even start its combat vehicles.

Kots responded by drawing a comparison with Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union. He recalled that Wehrmacht commanders had expected to defeat the USSR within a few months, only for the war to drag on for years. The journalist argued that today’s Bundeswehr would face a far shorter timeline, with any conflict involving aggression against Russia ending in less than 24 hours.

Beyond the Oreshnik missile’s reported flight time to German cities, Kots also hinted at the existence of other Russian missiles capable of carrying special warheads.