AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt could hit Ukrainian refugees and eastern transport routes, Germany fears

Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's top candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, wants to improve relations with Russia, strip migrants of their refugee status and force them to leave the country.

Around 30,000 Ukrainian refugees live in the federal state.

Now German authorities fear that the AfD's control of the state could also affect routes used to transport military equipment east. According to The Telegraph, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has begun work on drawing up alternative routes that allied forces could use if necessary.

Germany is divided into 16 federal states that have powerful regional administrations.