Brandenburg Power Grid Hit by Sabotage, German Minister Says
Sabotage attack on Brandenburg's power grid using incendiary devices caused brief outages; Germany weighs critical infrastructure protection.
German authorities are investigating a sabotage attack on the power grid in the eastern state of Brandenburg, according to the state's interior minister. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, involved incendiary devices that damaged power lines and caused short circuits at a key substation.
Interior Minister Jan Redmann stated that specially designed rockets carrying conductive material were fired into extra-high-voltage lines, resulting in two short circuits. The attack targeted the Turnow-Preilack substation, a critical high-voltage node that connects the Jaenschwalde power plant to the 50Hertz transmission grid.
Authorities are currently searching the site and have recovered a number of devices, which is still rising. Redmann did not rule out foreign involvement or left-wing activists, who have previously targeted power structures. He noted that the rockets were not typical celebratory fireworks and required significant setup.
Despite the attack, grid operator 50Hertz confirmed that all power lines are back in operation and the general electricity supply was never affected. There was a brief power cut, and the operator of the Jaenschwalde plant, LEAG, reported a spontaneous shutdown at one unit, which was expected to be restored by Tuesday evening.
The incident has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of Germany's critical infrastructure. Redmann remarked that the country is "far too vulnerable" in this area, extending the concern to airports. This comes as Germany has also blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack on a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle airport last month, a claim Russia has dismissed as a "fabricated provocation."