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... Germany's foreign intelligence chief warned Monday of the rising risk of a direct clash with Russia as the Kremlin escalates its "shadow war" on Berlin and hits Ukraine with increasing brutality.

"Germany is in danger of being drawn into a violent conflict with Russia," Martin Jäger, the head of the German's foreign intelligence agency, or BND, told parliamentarians, citing what he called Russia's attempted attack on a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane at Leipzig Airport in August as an example. "Germany has become a major obstacle to Russia's hegemonic power projection in Europe and, as a result, a primary target of Russian actions."

Jäger also warned that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is entering its most dangerous phase yet as President Vladimir Putin faces growing domestic pressure to show military progress with the war entering its fifth winter.

"Russia is determined to bring Ukraine to its knees this coming winter," Jäger said. "We must expect Russian attacks of a severity and brutality that we have not yet seen on this scale. The war in Ukraine is entering a new and extremely dangerous phase." ...