Berlin police are investigating a transformer substation fire, amid a series of suspected sabotage attacks on Germany's power grid. Authorities found 21 explosive devices near high-voltage power lines in Saxony, and are searching for a suspect linked to previous incidents.
The series of suspected sabotage attacks on Germany's power grid raises significant concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in Europe and highlights potential geopolitical tensions and domestic extremist threats.
Berlin police are investigating a fire at a transformer substation amid a series of suspected sabotage attacks on Germany's electricity grid. Authorities in Saxony announced they had found a total of 21 explosive devices near high-voltage power lines, with nine additional devices discovered over the weekend near Graustein substation in the Goerlitz district. This follows a drone attack in August at Leipzig/Halle, which the German government attributed to Russia.
German police are also searching for a 48-year-old man suspected of carrying out previous sabotage attacks, after explosives were found at his home. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt suggested the motive may be "climate terrorism," citing letters claiming responsibility for the attacks. However, North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul cautioned against attributing the acts solely to ideology, emphasizing the danger to critical infrastructure like hospitals.
Separately, the security fence around another transformer substation in Wesel was found cut open, prompting assessment operations. Initial findings into the Berlin substation fire indicate it was caused by a technical fault, according to Police Commissioner Barbara Slowik Meisel.