Increase in sabotage attempts against substations: Interior Ministry warns of an increase

According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the increase in sabotage attempts against substations may have something to do with the upcoming state elections. There is an “expectation that this can increase,” said a ministry spokesman. The state elections in Saxony-Anhalt will take place this Sunday, and elections will take place in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on September 20th.

The security authorities are in regular communication to protect the critical infrastructure, including with business, said the spokesman. This refers to areas such as the health system or the electricity and water supply, the failure of which would have serious consequences. Comprehensive measures have already been taken in these areas, but there is still a need to detect and defend against drones.

Letters of responsibility for attacks

The police are still searching for a suspect after attacks on substations in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg. "We have a letter of responsibility and we are following up on the information," said a police spokesman in Cologne. The alleged author is said to have claimed responsibility for the attacks in both federal states. Conductive material was shot into lines at substations in Bergheim near Cologne and near the large Jänschwalde power plant in Brandenburg, causing short circuits.

The spokesman did not give any details about the police action. Officials had previously gone to another substation near Weisweiler near Aachen. Another possible sabotage attempt was also discovered near the North Rhine-Westphalian city of Dormagen. Such an attack was probably supposed to take place here, but it failed. A walker found a suspected launcher there, like the one used in the attacks in Bergheim and at the large Jänschwalde power plant.