Germany Hit by Second Power Grid Sabotage Attack

Germany's electricity network has come under attack for the second time in a short span, with police confirming on Wednesday that they're investigating an incident at a substation near the western city of Bergheim.

1 hour Ago By Kamil Wrona


Substation Attack Raises Fresh Concerns
According to a police spokesperson, the incident took place around 4:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Tuesday and is being treated as an act of deliberate vandalism targeting technical infrastructure. Fortunately, the region's power supply wasn't disrupted, though officials declined to share specifics about the extent of the damage.

This wasn't an isolated event. That same day, in the eastern state of Brandenburg, devices designed to carry electrical current were used to damage power lines there as well. Grid operator Amprion later confirmed that the western Germany incident appeared to involve outside interference, though it stressed that both power supply and grid stability held steady throughout.

Power company RWE also weighed in, revealing that the attack forced it to temporarily shut down lignite power plant units with a combined capacity of 4,200 megawatts. The company said the affected units, located in Neurath and Niederaussem, are expected to reconnect to the grid within the next few days. RWE added that it remains in close contact with both authorities and Amprion as the investigation continues.

These incidents come as German authorities remain on edge over threats to the country's critical infrastructure. Just a day earlier, officials in Berlin accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone strike on a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle airport last month, prompting the government to roll out a set of new security measures. This isn't the first time Germany's power grid has come under attack either - previous incidents have been linked to suspected left-wing extremist groups.

Explosion Near Augsburg Train Station Injures Two
In a separate incident, an unidentified object exploded near a train station in the southern city of Augsburg in the early hours of Wednesday. Police said two passersby, aged 17 and 18, suffered minor injuries in the blast. Bavaria state police confirmed the explosion happened inside a building passageway and that both injured individuals were Ukrainian nationals.

Later that morning, authorities temporarily shut down Augsburg's main train station after discovering another suspicious object nearby, though normal rail operations resumed shortly after. Early reports suggested a hand grenade had detonated outside a jewellery store, and that the train station itself likely wasn't the intended target. Police have not yet released further details about the explosive device involved.

Augsburg serves as a key regional transport hub, located roughly 55 kilometres (35 miles) northwest of Munich.

Copyright @ 2024 IBRA Digital