The Bundeswehr (German federal armed forces) is the military arm of Germany’s security and defence establishment. In Germany, however, the domestic deployment of the military is subject to very strict rules that exclude the Bundeswehr from talking over executive responsibilities except during national emergencies. Germany, its society, and the Bundeswehr have a long history of the armed forces participating in domestic assistance missions. During the COVID-19 crisis the Bundeswehr conducted its largest and longest mission of that kind. This had negative impact on its military readiness – that could no longer be accepted after Russia’s full scale aggression against Ukraine and its threats to NATO countries. Against this backdrop, the Bundeswehr will continue to provide administrative assistance in emergencies but will now have to be more selective about where it will assist and for how long.