Substation sabotage: police hunt 48-year-old from Gevelsberg
Following attacks on electrical infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg, police are searching for a 48-year-old man. In two letters claiming responsibility, he names fossil fuels as his motive.
Substation attacks: suspect from Gevelsberg at large, explosives found in flat
Police are hunting a 48-year-old man from Gevelsberg near Hagen following a series of sabotage acts against electricity supply facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg. According to Tagesschau, authorities have two letters in which the man claims responsibility — however, it remains unclear whether he is actually the perpetrator.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) stated at a press conference that the letters contained detailed knowledge of the crime and should be regarded as authentic. The author names the "fight against fossil fuels" as his motive. In one of the letters, he states verbatim: "I am not attacking the country, but the fossil fuel industry." Reul emphasised, however: "When someone signs their name to something, that does not necessarily make them responsible."
Vehicle stormed at Hambacher Forst, man not found
After investigators failed to find the suspect at his registered address, his vehicle was discovered at Hambacher Forst. A special operations unit stormed the vehicle — the man was not inside. Markus Gemünd, head of the constitutional protection department in the North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Ministry, confirmed the operation. According to Reul, the wanted man is probably on foot and will not get far.
Investigators secured explosives at the man's flat: potassium nitrate and potassium perchlorate. Investigators are also examining whether he acted alone and whether there are connections to the sabotage act in Brandenburg's Jänschwalde.
Federal Interior Minister speaks of "climate extremism"
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) views "climate extremism" as the probable motive for the crime and, based on investigations so far, assumes a lone perpetrator. At the same time, Reul did not rule out possible "foreign state-directed sabotage" — nor a far-left extremist background.
Dobrindt warned of further attack scenarios in Germany and called for strengthening security agencies both technically and in personnel terms. Companies must also be enabled to defend against drones themselves. "We are facing different threat and hazard situations simultaneously," Dobrindt said. "Sabotage, espionage, cyber-attacks, covert operations, extremism and state terrorism — we are currently threatened by all these dangers at once."
Reul emphasised the societal significance of such attacks: "Whoever plans such acts does not anger those in power, but ordinary people. The light in living rooms, the ventilator on the intensive care ward, the traffic light at the junction: we all need these things."
Multiple attack sites in North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond
The sabotage series began on Tuesday morning with an attack on high-voltage power lines near the Turnow-Preilack substation in Brandenburg, which transport electricity from Jänschwalde power station. In two cases, short circuits occurred. The same evening, a malfunction occurred at a substation in Bergheim near Cologne. According to authorities, launching devices and pyrotechnic material were found in the vicinity of both locations. According to North Rhine-Westphalia's Energy Minister Mona Neubaur, five lignite blocks belonging to energy supplier RWE Power were knocked offline as a result.
At a substation near Dormagen between Düsseldorf and Cologne, police secured two further launching devices — apparently intended to cause a short circuit. A similar device was also discovered in Weisweiler near Aachen. According to Reul, the author of the letters claiming responsibility is claiming these two acts as well.
On Friday evening, there was a major police operation at a power facility in Hamm. According to a dpa reporter, numerous police vehicles and a helicopter arrived at a country road next to a woodland area. An official police statement was initially unavailable.
Saxony: explosive devices secured at two locations
In Saxony, police discovered "unknown explosive devices" at two locations — four objects in total, according to Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU). Clues to the locations came from another letter claiming responsibility. Intensive search operations were initiated on Thursday immediately after it was received. Görlitz police directorate confirmed an operation north of Bautzen.
According to an internal BKA situational report, there have been more than 160 suspected sabotage cases nationwide this year. Investigation is proceeding on charges of anti-constitutional sabotage.
Source: Tagesschau