Two incidents which targeted power distribution systems in Germany are being investigated as possible acts of sabotage, authorities have said.
On Tuesday, multiple explosive devices were found at a substation near the Jänschwalde coal-fired power plant in Brandenburg in northeastern Germany – a discovery which is also being probed for possible links to terrorism.
Hours later, a short circuit knocked power lines out of service at the Bergheim power substation near Cologne in western Germany – an incident described by security officials as a deliberate act.
Neither incident affected the general power supply in their areas.
It comes after the German government blamed Russia for a failed drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, announcing it would shut down a Russian consulate among other measures.
Authorities are investigating the substation incidents but have not said if they could be connected. They say possible suspects could include a foreign power or left-wing extremists.
“A substation is the nerve centre of our daily lives. Anyone who attacks it isn’t just attacking a tin roof – they’re attacking our country, our economy, our daily lives, and all of us,” said Herbert Reul, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where Bergheim is located.
“Critical infrastructure is the Achilles’ heel of our society. Perhaps we haven’t taken this issue seriously enough over the years.”
Mr Reul said security officials from both regions were in contact and closely checking for possible connections between the Brandenburg and Bergheim incidents.
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The attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport was revealed when an explosive-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane on 4 August and the device was defused. The airport is a major international freight hub used for providing support to Ukraine.
Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said: “It is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism. The question is: what do we do about this?”
