Germany plans task force to counter hybrid Baltic Sea area threats

Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Friday that he wants to set up a rapid response task force to tackle hybrid threats in the Baltic Sea region.

He said he would discuss the plan with his counterparts from other countries bordering the Baltic Sea.

"The aim is to set up a rapid response task force that will enable us to exchange information quickly, particularly in the Baltic Sea region," he said before the start of a conference in the northern city of Flensburg.

"We want to turn this shared threat area into a shared security area," said Dobrindt. "Hybrid scenarios are on the rise, becoming more severe, and are omnipresent."

The threats are present in the air and at sea, but also concern cyberspace and critical infrastructure, the minister said. 

"We will formulate joint responses on how we intend to deal with an escalating threat," Dobrindt said, adding that he expects a further increase in the frequency and sophistication of hybrid attacks. 

The ongoing handling of the Russian shadow fleet will also feature during the conference, said Dobrindt.

Representatives from the interior ministries of the Baltic Sea states and Ireland are taking part in the conference at the Flensburg Naval Academy.