“The German armed forces have faced a major investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, far-right extremism and drug use in the elite 26th Parachute Regiment.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Illustrative photo: Getty Images Source: Financial Timesconveys “European truth“
Details: Prosecutors are reportedly investigating more than a dozen allegations against soldiers from the 26th Parachute Regiment, an airborne division based in the city of Zweibrucken in the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
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The investigation is looking into reports that the elite unit’s soldiers allegedly wore Nazi-style uniforms and used drugs.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he was “shocked” by these facts, which, he said, “contrary to the Bundeswehr’s core values.”
The incident is also said to have overshadowed the launch this month of a new program aimed at enlisting 18-year-olds into a new form of voluntary military service.
Agnieszka Brugger, a member of the Greens party who sits on the Bundestag’s defense committee, warned that the allegations tarnished not just one unit, but “the important service that so many soldiers perform.”
An army official told the FT that the Bundeswehr had investigated a total of 55 suspects. Three soldiers have already been released, and another 19 are awaiting the release procedure.
Also, 16 cases were transferred to the prosecutor’s office for criminal investigation, mostly related to drugs, as well as cases of hatred and the use of prohibited extremist symbols.
The 26th Parachute Regiment is one of the most elite units of the German armed forces. It consists of about 1,700 soldiers and is involved in overseas operations and evacuations from war zones in countries such as Afghanistan, Mali and Sudan.
The allegations first became public in October when a local newspaper received an anonymous tip that some of the regiment’s soldiers were allegedly under investigation for performing the Hitler salute and photographing male and female colleagues in showers, as well as drug use and wearing Nazi-style uniforms.
The army later confirmed it had quietly investigated the matter after receiving complaints from female paratroopers, who make up about 5% of the regiment’s personnel, in June this year.
It also became known that the commander of the unit, Colonel Oliver Henkel, was dismissed from his post.
A local broadcaster, which received a copy of Henkel’s farewell speech, said he denied any connection to the allegations from his job change.
“I have a clear conscience and am convinced that in the end truth and justice will prevail,” he said.
What preceded:
- At the end of August 2025, it became known that an increase in cases was recorded in Germany of right-wing extremism in the Bundeswehr.