Sabotage of German power grid: police search for alleged climate terrorist
A 48-year-old man is suspected of attacking transformer substations in Germany using homemade rockets and explosive devices. Interior Minister Dobrindt speaks of "climate terrorism".
Manhunt for attacks on transformer substations in multiple federal states
German police are conducting an intensive search for a 48-year-old man accused of multiple acts of sabotage against the power grid. As reported by Google News AT — Crime (de), the incidents are concentrated in federal states where lignite is still mined and converted into electricity. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) assumes this is an act of "climate terrorism".
Explosives found in flat, suspect at large
Officers discovered explosives in the suspect's flat in Gevelsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) on Friday. A specialised police unit then stormed a converted lorry serving as a motorhome around 100 kilometres away in Niederzier in a wooded area — the wanted man was not found. The manhunt is based on two letters claiming responsibility.
"The knowledge revealed in these letters is clear evidence of the perpetrator's guilt," said Dobrindt. It is most likely an act of "climate terrorism" by an individual. One of the letters states: "Power generation from fossil fuels is a crime." NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul emphasised that anyone endangering the power supply to hospitals in the name of climate protection is not saving anything but endangering lives. "No ideology serves as an excuse," Reul said.
First attack in Brandenburg, second near Cologne
The first attack occurred on Tuesday morning in southern Brandenburg: over 20 homemade rockets were fired at cables leading towards the high-voltage lines of the Turnow-Preilack transformer substation near the Jänschwalde power station. In two cases, short circuits occurred; the grid operator reported no power outages. Police are investigating, among other things, for the formation of a terrorist organisation.
Later that same evening, a malfunction occurred at a transformer substation in Bergheim near Cologne. Launch devices and pyrotechnic materials were also seized there. According to RWE Power, five lignite power plant blocks at the Niederaußem and Neurath sites went offline; several of them resumed operation later, with one scheduled to restart the following week. General power supply was secured at all times according to the company.
Further incidents in NRW and Saxony
On Thursday evening, a pedestrian discovered suspected launch devices at a transformer substation in Dormagen between Cologne and Düsseldorf and alerted police. Based on a letter claiming responsibility, officers searched the grounds around the Weisweiler power station near Aachen on Friday.
In Saxony, police secured four unknown explosive devices at two locations, as Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster reported. The Görlitz police directorate confirmed an operation north of Bautzen that was ongoing at that time. Officers spent parts of the entire night conducting forensic examination at the scene, explained a police spokeswoman on Saturday morning.
Call for improved critical infrastructure protection
In response to the incidents, NRW Interior Minister Reul called for better protection of critical infrastructure. This requires clear authority and modern technology — cameras, sensors and alarm systems. Critical infrastructure includes areas such as energy, water and health, the failure of which can lead to supply shortages or disruptions to public security.
Austria monitoring developments
Austria's security authorities are also closely monitoring the incidents. Protection of critical infrastructure is "increasingly in focus" in security policy measures, the Directorate for Constitutional Protection and Intelligence Services (DSN) in the Interior Ministry told APA. International developments are included in the assessment of the national threat situation. The DSN is in close contact with foreign security authorities and works within a task force on hybrid threats in order to be able to respond "as quickly and comprehensively as possible" to such situations.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)