German intelligence chiefs warned Monday that Russia could be in a position to attack NATO by 2030 and is stepping up efforts to undermine Ukraine's Western backers through sabotage.
Germany is Ukraine's second largest military sponsor after the United States.
"In terms of personnel and equipment, the Russian armed forces will most likely be capable of carrying out an attack on NATO by the end of the decade at the latest," Bruno Kahl, head of foreign intelligence at Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), told parliament.
Direct confrontation between Moscow and the US-led military alliance "is becoming an option for Russia," Kahl said.
Kahl spoke at a Bundestag hearing alongside the heads of Germany's domestic and military intelligence, who took turns warning of a growing threat from Russia in the context of its invasion of Ukraine.
"Russian espionage and sabotage in Germany is growing both qualitatively and quantitatively," said the head of domestic intelligence, Thomas Haldenwang.
He listed possible sabotage actions, including a potential collision with an exploding cargo and a DHL cargo plane.
The package caught fire on the ground before it was loaded onto the plane. Haldenwang called it a "lucky accident," without naming the suspected culprits.
"If it had exploded on board during the flight, it would have been a disaster and the debris could have hit all the people here in Germany who openly or secretly sympathise with Putin," he said.
Russia has also engaged in disinformation campaigns, used drones to spy on sensitive sites and tried to recruit people, including from the world of organised crime, by offering them money, Haldenwang said.
Military intelligence chief Martina Rosenberg said there had also been a "significant increase" in Russian espionage and sabotage activities targeting the German armed forces.
Among the activities carried out by Russia, she said, were "reconnaissance of German arms supplies to Ukraine" and monitoring military exercises and weapons projects.