Overview
- The ministry ordered staff to place private phones, tablets, and smartwatches in corridor lockers before any session or task that involves classified material.
- The ban applies to in-person and virtual meetings that handle information marked for official use only or higher, and it extends to offices that store such documents.
- The instruction singles out planning for exercises or operations and discussions of Bundeswehr readiness as especially sensitive settings.
- Officials say Russian intelligence now prioritizes the German armed forces as a target, and they describe sustained Chinese intelligence activity focused on long-term collection.
- Many staff carry secure work phones that block common chat apps, which had pushed daily use of personal devices across the Bendlerblock, and the new rule forces a shift in those routines.