Explosive devices at substation near Jänschwalde power plant in Germany, two short circuits
Unknown perpetrators attacked a substation near the Jänschwalde power plant in eastern Germany using homemade rockets. Brandenburg's interior minister described the incident as an attempted act of sabotage.
Rocket attack on Jänschwalde substation: sabotage against energy infrastructure
A substation in the village of Turnow-Preilack near the Jänschwalde power plant in eastern Germany came under attack on Monday morning. According to the Czech Press Agency citing DPA and a statement from energy company LEAG, unknown perpetrators attacked the substation with homemade rockets and caused short circuits in two instances.
Following the attack, a technical shutdown occurred in Block B of the Jänschwalde power plant. The substation in Turnow-Preilack, located approximately one hundred kilometres north of the Czech border, ensures the transmission of electricity generated at Jänschwalde into the transmission network operated by 50Hertz.
Brandenburg's interior minister Jan Redmann described the incident as an attempted act of sabotage. According to him, the aim was to cause a widespread power outage. The perpetrators succeeded in carrying out two of the attacks — short circuits occurred in two cases. However, more than ten homemade rockets that had not been fired were found in the vicinity of the substation. Redmann emphasised that no one was injured in the incident.
50Hertz confirmed that it had registered "brief interruptions to several lines". According to the company, power supply is not under threat and all lines are already back in operation. The transmission network operator also called on residents to be cautious: "We ask residents throughout our network area to be particularly vigilant. Report suspicious persons and incidents to police."
50Hertz described the items found as "homemade rockets that resemble fireworks rockets commonly sold in shops".
LEAG, which owns the Jänschwalde power plant, is part of EP Energy Transition, which falls under the EP Group of Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský.
Brandenburg premier Dietmar Woidke condemned the attack. "The high frequency of these incidents, which is causing concern, shows that we must decidedly defend our infrastructure," said Woidke.
The DPA agency linked the attack to earlier arson attacks on energy infrastructure in Berlin. The south-west of the capital was hit on 3 January by a massive power outage caused by an arson attack on a cable bridge near the Lichterfelde power plant. 45,000 households and approximately 2,200 businesses went without electricity, heating and mobile signal — a total of 100,000 Berliners felt the impact. Supplies were not fully restored until 7 January, with freezing temperatures prevailing in Germany at that time. A group calling itself Vulkangruppe claimed responsibility for the attack; authorities designated it as left-wing extremist. A similar attack affected part of Treptow-Köpenick in south-east Berlin in September last year.
Source: České noviny