Chaos in Erding: Police shots at soldiers during exercise Marshal Power!

Chaos in Erding: Police shots at soldiers during exercise Marshal Power!

In Erding near Munich, an incident during the Bundeswehr's major exercise “Marshal Power” caused a stir. A soldier was shot by police on October 27, 2025, raising numerous questions about communication and coordination between authorities. This shooting occurred around 5 p.m. on Wednesday when police were alerted by a citizen about a suspicious armed man in camouflage clothing. A large contingent of police forces, including a helicopter, was then sent to the scene. What the officials didn't know, however, was that the "armed man" was a Bundeswehr soldier who took part in the exercise.

The soldiers who used maneuver munitions during the incident thought that the arrival of the police was part of the exercise. In contrast, the police believed they had a real operation, which eventually led to a shootout. The Bundeswehr soldier was slightly injured and received immediate medical treatment. Bavarian state newspaper reports that local police were not informed about the exercise, and those responsible on Wednesday initially thought it would not begin until the following day.

Communication problems and criticism

The incident has led to sharp criticism of the information policy. Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) said the public had been inadequately informed about the exercise. In the future, the media should be informed in good time about the place and time of exercises in order to avoid such misunderstandings. Both the mayor of Erding, Maximilian Gotz, and district administrator Martin Bayerstorfer spoke of a “communications disaster”. Mr. Bayerstorfer noted that communication between the Bundeswehr and the police was catastrophic, which was also confirmed by police spokesman Andreas Aichele. BR adds that the investigation has now been initiated. The Erding criminal police and the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office are involved in the case.

The “Marshal Power” exercise has been running since October 22, 2025 and extends across several locations in Bavaria until October 29. The aim of the exercise is to train how to respond to threats behind a fictitious front line, including in collaboration with the police, fire brigade and other rescue services. This includes training against drones, sabotage and irregular forces. A total of around 500 military soldiers and 300 civilian emergency services are taking part in the exercises. However, the Bundeswehr itself has admitted that local police were not informed about Wednesday's activities, further complicating the entire situation. Daily Mirror

In summary, it remains to be seen what consequences this incident will have for the conduct of future exercises. One thing seems certain: the authorities urgently need to improve their communication channels to prevent similar incidents and maintain the public's trust.