Berlin: Germany’s armed forces are preparing for a potential large-scale conflict with Russia by planning medical facilities capable of handling up to 1,000 wounded soldiers per day, a top military health official revealed on Monday.

Ralf Hoffmann, Surgeon General of the Bundeswehr, said the medical services are restructuring to cope with scenarios of high-intensity warfare, drawing lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine. Unlike past conflicts dominated by gunshot wounds, today’s battlefields are producing more complex injuries from drones, loitering munitions, and heavy explosives, including blast injuries and severe burns.

Germany is developing expanded medical evacuation options, including air, hospital trains, and specially equipped buses, to move casualties quickly from combat zones. Initial stabilization will take place near the front lines, with many wounded soldiers expected to be transported back to Germany for further treatment. Civilian hospitals are expected to play a key role, with authorities estimating that about 15,000 hospital beds will need to be allocated to military casualties out of Germany’s total capacity of roughly 440,000.

The Bundeswehr’s medical service currently employs around 15,000 personnel but is planning to expand in anticipation of higher demands. “We are preparing for a reality where evacuations may be slower and the nature of wounds more severe,” Hoffmann said.

The planning comes amid rising tensions following recent Russian airspace incursions over NATO territory. NATO has previously warned that Moscow could be capable of mounting a large-scale attack against the alliance by 2029, though Russia has repeatedly denied any intention of attacking NATO states.

Germany’s transparent planning reflects a broader shift in Europe’s defense posture, with emphasis not only on combat readiness but also on medical and logistical resilience. By integrating civilian infrastructure and modernizing evacuation systems, Berlin aims to ensure that its forces can sustain operations even in the face of high daily casualty figures.