Germany Investigates Power Substation Incidents as Sabotage, Terrorism

German police have launched a terror probe following an attack on an electricity substation near a coal-fired power plant in the east of the country. Several improvised explosive devices were discovered at the Preilack substation on Tuesday, which distributes power from the nearby Jänschwalde power plant. Operator 50Hertz reported a brief interruption of service, but all lines are now operational, and no one was injured.

Authorities are also investigating a separate incident in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where power was cut to some cables at a substation in Bergheim near Cologne. Police suspect a deliberate act caused the damage, marking the latest in a series of incidents involving critical infrastructure.

Germany, a NATO member and strong supporter of Ukraine, has accused Moscow of engaging in hybrid attacks involving espionage and sabotage, claims the Kremlin denies. The country has been on high alert for months due to suspicious drone sightings over military and industrial sites. Earlier on Tuesday, Berlin publicly attributed an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport last month to Russia, with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stating the incident aligns with Russia's known hybrid operations in Europe.