Germany investigates sabotage of power infrastructure amid rising tensions with Russia

Police are investigating after homemade projectiles were used to damage power lines in eastern Germany. This comes amid suspicion of sabotage at another power station in the west of the country. DW has more.

https://p.dw.com/p/5K5TO

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

Minor injuries reported after object explodes near Augsburg train station

Police are investigating 'criminal act' at power station near Cologne, North-Rhine Westphalia

Authorities also opened a terror probe over Tuesday's sabotage of a power station in Brandenburg

Germany is weighing further action against Russia after announcing it was behind the drone incident at Leipzig airport

Read below for a roundup of news and analysis from and concerning Germany on Wednesday, September 2.

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Skip next section Germany says EU countries handing out too many visas to Russians

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

Germany says EU countries handing out too many visas to Russians

Berlin is pushing for other EU members to cut down on tourist visas to Russian citizens, essentially calling for stricter rules across the entire EU.

More than 600,000 short-stay visas were issued by EU countries in Russia last year. Italy, France and Spain issued the most, while Germany approved a mere 20,000.

Berlin says it wants to make sure that people who could pose a security risk are not allowed to enter the EU.

The call comes as tensions between Germany and Russia peak over Berlin’s accusation that Moscow was the mastermind behind an attempted drone attack a German airport in August.

Germany blames Russia for attempted terror attack in Leipzig

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Skip next section Germany to spend €1 billion for drought-hit farmers

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

Germany to spend €1 billion for drought-hit farmers

This summer's massive heat waves and river droughts have faded from the headlines, but the record heat and drought are continuing to take a toll. It's harvest season, and farmers are struggling with lower yields and damaged crops.

Berlin now wants to spend around €1 billion to support farmers in what Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer described as a crisis of national importance.

The money won't be handed out directly but will come in the form of low-interest loans, tax relief, and subsidized fertilizer costs.

The German Farmers' Association has already said the measures are not enough. The drought resulted in a more than 7% drop in the overall grain harvest, while rapeseed yields in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern fell by a staggering 25%.

Farmers are also facing higher production costs due to rising fuel and fertilizer prices as a consequence of the Iran war.

https://p.dw.com/p/5KcrQ

Skip next section Political crisis deepens in eastern Germany

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

Political crisis deepens in eastern Germany

Political tensions are deepening in the eastern German state of Thuringia after three lawmakers quit the populist BSW party.

The three politicians say they are unhappy with pressure from the party’s national leadership in Berlin. They plan to form their own parliamentary group but continue supporting the state government.

Founded by former left-wing politician Sara Wagenknecht, the BSW has left-wing economic policies, a conservative stance against immigration and criticizes military support for Ukraine.

The split makes an already tricky political coalition even more tricky. Thuringia is currently being governed by an unusual coalition of the center-right CDU, center-left SPD and BSW. The coalition has no parliamentary majority and relies on the Left Party to pass legislation.

The far-right AfD is the largest party in the state parliament, but other parties have formed the current coalition to kept it out of government.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Kbfl

Skip next section Ozempic pills enter German market

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

Ozempic pills enter German market

As of this month, Ozempic — sold for weight management under the brand name Wegovy — is available in Germany as a pill. Until now, it had only been sold as an injection.

The medication is not available over the counter and can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription. However, it is generally not covered by statutory health insurance.

The medicine is produced by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk and has been a major success for the company in recent years.

The drug remains somewhat controversial, with reports of side effects alongside growing interest in other potential medical uses.

https://p.dw.com/p/5KavB

Skip next section WATCH: Sabotage fears hit Germany's power grid

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

WATCH: Sabotage fears hit Germany's power grid

Sabotage fears hit Germany's power grid

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Skip next section VW reportedly to close four Germany plants

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

VW reportedly to close four Germany plants

It's only media reports, but if they're to be trusted then Germany's car giant Volkswagen has made up its mind to shut down four of its German production sites.

According to business magazine Wirtschaftswoche, a leaked paper from VW says that the Emden and Zwickau sites are to close in 2031, Hannover in 2032 and Neckarsulm in 2034.

There's been no official VW comment on this but Germany's powerful IG Metall union has dismissed the reporting, saying that any such big decisions would need broad approval.

But the report comes at a time where tension at VW are already at boiling point. The company faces — much like most of Germany's car industry — a deep structural crisis because of pressure from Chinese rivals, the transition to EVs, rising production costs and steep US tariffs.

Can Volkswagen stage an automotive comeback?

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https://p.dw.com/p/5KYgC

Skip next section Ukraine says it's ready to ink drone deal with Germany

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

Ukraine says it's ready to ink drone deal with Germany

Ukraine is close to finalizing a drone deal with Germany, Ukrainian President Volodymyr ‌Zelenskyy ⁠said ⁠on Wednesday after a call with ​German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Zelenskyy also warned a surge in Ukrainian drones in Russia's skies meant Russian airspace would be "effectively" closed.

Read more of our rolling Ukraine coverage here.

https://p.dw.com/p/5KXFo

Skip next section Germany successfully tests Israeli ballistic missile

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

Germany successfully tests Israeli ballistic missile

A German frigate has tested the Israeli Lora missile system in the North Atlantic in an undisclosed operation, the country's navy said on Wednesday. Berlin is now considering buying the missiles which have a range of more than 500 kilometres.

Germany is in the process of modernizing and expanding its military in response to what it sees as a growing threat from Russia.

The missile test came just hours after Germany said it held Russia responsible for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport in August.

"In terms of protecting Germany and our allies, this test marks a new chapter in deterrence and maritime defence readiness," navy chief Jan Christian Kaack said.

The Lora missiles are designed for rapid deployment from ships at sea. Germany’s own Taurus missiles also have a range of more than 500 kilometres, but are launched from fighter jets.

At the same time, Germany is working with its European allies to develop its own long-range weapons that would fly further than both the Lora or the Taurus missiles.

https://p.dw.com/p/5KW07

Skip next section Germany identifies suspects behind Leipzig drone attack

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

Germany identifies suspects behind Leipzig drone attack

Andreas Illmer | Elizabeth Schumacher Editor

German investigators have reportedly identified two suspects behind the attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August.

According to reports on Wednesday from Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, and public broadcasters NDR and WDR, one suspect is an ethnic Russian holding a Latvian passport. The second is a man from Belarus that holds a Russian passport.

On Tuesday, Germany said it believed that Russia was behind the attempted drone attack targeting a Ukrainian transport aircraft at the airport in early August.

Berlin said there would be strong consequences for the hybrid attack and has announced the closure of Russian consulate in Bonn and of the Russian House in Berlin, a cultural center that Germany believes to be inolved in in spying activity.

Russia denies any involment in the Leipzig attack and on Wednesday summoned the German ambassador because of what it says are anti-Russian actions by Berlin.

Germany blames Russia for attempted terror attack in Leipzig

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Skip next section EU approves Germany's power capacity program

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

EU approves Germany's power capacity program

Emilio Reynoso

The European Commission approved Germany's electricity supply support scheme. It is estimated to cost between €15.6 billion and €35.2 billion ($18.1 billion and $40.8 billion).

Germany's plans to increase its electricity capacity by up to 11 gigawatts over five years required approval of the European Commission to ensure they do not distort competition within the bloc.

The plan aims to ensure Germany has enough electricity capacity to meet rising demand.

Contracts in the state aid plan can last up to 15 years and are open to existing and new providers with electricity delivery beginning in 2031.

The energy companies receiving long-term contracts must be "hydrogen-ready" and must operate in a "climate-neutral" way by 2045.

Germany set a goal of having at least 80% of its electricity come from renewable sources by 2030.

https://p.dw.com/p/5KRHS

Skip next section Sabotage probe opened in second power station attack near Cologne

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

Sabotage probe opened in second power station attack near Cologne

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul on Wednesday said an incident at a power station in Bergheim near Cologne is preliminarily being investigated as an act of "anti-constitutional sabotage," using a German legal term applied for criminal acts aimed against the order of the state.

On Tuesday night, police were called to the Amprion substation in Bergheim after bright flashes of light were reportedly visible. A short circuit affected several power lines, but officials said power supply to citizens was not affected.

It was the second incident involving attempts at damaging electricity infrastructure in 24 hours. On Tuesday morning, power lines at a substation in the eastern state of Brandenburg hundreds of kilometers away were damaged by a projectile.

Officials have yet to identify potential suspects involved in either incident.

Based on the investigation so far, Reul said the investigation is looking at whether the sabotage attackoriginated from abroad or had a far-left extremist motive.

Last year in Berlin, a far-left extremist network known as the "Vulkangruppe" carried out multiple sabotage attacks on power grids and energy infrastructure in and around Berlin, leaving thousands without power for nearly a week in the middle of winter.

"Now we need to investigate," Reul said. "This was intentional; it was a crime," Ruel said.

"More sabotage, more hybrid attacks ... interference like this is not happening far away, it's happening right on our doorstep," Reul told a press conference.

"And anyone who acts this way is not just trying to hit cables; they're trying to hit our country," he added.

https://p.dw.com/p/5KLix

Skip next section Police open terrorism investigation after Brandenburg grid sabotage

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

Police open terrorism investigation after Brandenburg grid sabotage

Police in the eastern German state of Brandenburg on Wednesday said they were investigating the possible formation of a terrorist organization in connection with an attack on a power plant and substation in the eastern state of Brandenburg.

According to officials, on Tuesday morning, a projectile managed to carry a cable into the extra-high-voltage power line at a substation near the Jänschwalde coal-fired power plant, creating a conductive connection to the ground that caused a brief outage.

On Wednesday, Brandenburg's state Interior Minister Jan Redmann said "we were damn lucky" that only one of more than a dozen "rocket-like objects equipped with a propellant charge" reached its target.

He added the suspects had positioned the projectiles directly beneath the power lines near the Turnow-Preilack substation on the border with the state of Saxony.

The search for suspects continues, and an investigation is looking into all possibilities.

Brandenburg police said their investigation also includes disruption of public services, the causing of an explosion and the destruction of important equipment.

"At this point, we must assume that the perpetrators had been on the scene for several days beforehand and had installed the necessary equipment," Redmann said.

The construction and installation of the devices required a considerable amount of "technical expertise," he added.

Explained: How Germany will expand intel powers, and why

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Skip next section ICE train stops after door opened at 200 km/h

09/02/2026September 2, 2026

ICE train stops after door opened at 200 km/h

A German high-speed Intercity Express (ICE) train was forced to stop near the entrance of a tunnel on Tuesday after a door mysteriously opened during the ride, police said Wednesday.

The train had been moving at around 200 km/h (125 mph) and the conductor immediately applied the emergency brakes.

There were 238 passengers on board the train, which was heading from Munich to Dortmund. No injuries were reported after police searched the tracks and ruled out the possibility someone could have fallen through the door.

The passengers were able to get off the train in the town of Lohr am Main.

Germany's Federal Police interviewed the passengers there and took down personal information. The officers also checked to see if any luggage had fallen off the train. The rail line was reopened arou