The head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency warned that the country is facing a growing risk of violent confrontation with Russia. 

Martin Jaeger, head of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), said on Monday, “The confrontation we are facing with Russia has taken on a new, more dangerous dimension.” He continued, “Germany is in danger of becoming embroiled in a violent conflict with Russia.”

Jaeger warned that Russia is “waging a shadow war” and the threat of attacks in Germany was “real and imminent.”

Russia has denied that it intends to attack Germany or other NATO members. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that Moscow has “no intention of attacking anyone,” but would respond if Russia were attacked.

The statement follows Moscow’s warning that an attempt by NATO to isolate the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad could trigger a nuclear response. Last week, Russia sent a document to NATO stating that it was prepared to use nuclear weapons if NATO countries attempted to cut Kaliningrad off from the rest of Russia.

Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, separated from the rest of Russia and bordered by NATO members Poland and Lithuania. The territory lies roughly 40 miles from Russian ally Belarus at the narrow Suwalki Gap.

Russia also issued statements from three of its European embassy accounts that included the threat to use nuclear weapons in response to the isolation of Kaliningrad. Kremlin ​spokesman Dmitry Peskov described ⁠the statements as reminders to the “hotheads in Europe.”

While Russia has warned of a potential nuclear response over Kaliningrad, Jaeger predicted that any Russian military action against NATO would likely remain at a lower intensity. “However, Russia could engage in low-intensity military activities, particularly in the Baltic states,” he said.