German police are investigating incidents at two electricity substations as suspected deliberate sabotage rather than technical failures. A short circuit knocked out power lines near Bergheim, and improvised explosive devices were found near a substation tied to a coal-fired power plant. Both cases caused brief service disruptions, but no casualties were reported and power was restored relatively quickly.
Germany’s interior minister stated that the pattern fits known Russian hybrid-warfare operations in Europe. This follows an earlier episode where Berlin blamed Russia for an attempted drone incursion near Leipzig airport. Russia has previously rejected German accusations of running a hybrid-warfare campaign against European infrastructure, and no fresh rebuttal was immediately available for this specific incident.
German authorities have not yet named specific suspects or confirmed a direct link to Russian state actors. The ongoing investigation has prompted officials to review security at other critical energy sites nationwide.