Spiegel Deutschland48 minutes agoCrime2 min readGermany

Security authorities register 165 suspected cases of sabotage in Germany

BKA analysis shows concentration on Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria - Russia is named as a possible originator

Quick Look

Federal and state security authorities have registered 165 suspected cases of sabotage this year, according to a BKA analysis from the end of August.
Most cases are concentrated in Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria.
In comparison, there were 320 suspected cases of sabotage last year.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The numbers come from an analysis by the Federal Criminal Police Office at the end of August. In comparison, there were 320 suspected cases of sabotage last year. Sabotage is defined as the deliberate interference with economic, scientific, military, security or political processes.

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According to a media report, federal and state security authorities have already registered 165 suspected cases of sabotage this year. According to the report by “Süddeutscher Zeitung”, NDR and WDR, most of them referred to Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria.

The numbers come from an analysis by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) at the end of August. The title according to the report: “Situation update hybrid threat”. For comparison: Last year the authorities counted 320 suspected cases of sabotage.

Acts of sabotage are defined as “deliberate interference with economic, scientific, military, security or political processes.” This includes manipulation of power lines and railway lines or planned arson attacks.

Russia is said to be behind many of these events. Experts and now also government politicians speak of hybrid warfare by the Kremlin. This also includes disinformation campaigns or cyber attacks, i.e. disguised attacks by anonymous perpetrators.

Leipzig airport, attacks on the power supply

One of the most famous acts of sabotage in recent months is the attempted attack at Leipzig Airport. A drone with explosives was found there near a Ukrainian transport plane. The federal government was unusually quick and clear in blaming Russia for this (more on this here).

But there are also attacks where initially no trace leads to Russia. There have been several attacks on power supply systems in the past few days, once in Brandenburg and once in North Rhine-Westphalia. Brandenburg's Interior Minister Jan Redmann (CDU) said on Wednesday that he considered a connection between the attempted sabotage actions to be likely.

The attacks brought back memories of the blackout in Berlin at the turn of the year. Parts of the capital were without power for days. The sabotage of a central power cable was attributed to left-wing extremists. In the current case, however, Redmann did not rule out the possibility that so-called foreign powers could be in play.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

The number of suspected sabotage cases is expected to increase as the year progresses, particularly given ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Likely · Within months
The authorities are likely to introduce increased controls on critical infrastructure such as energy supplies and transport routes.
Possible · Within weeks

Open Questions

How many of the 165 cases were ultimately confirmed as actual sabotage?
What concrete evidence points to Russian involvement?
What measures are the authorities taking to prevent further attacks?
Are there connections between the various sabotage incidents?