Police Investigate Attempted Sabotage of Power Substations in Germany

German police are investigating an attempted act of sabotage at a power substation in Dormagen, located between Cologne and Dusseldorf. A walker discovered a suspicious object at the site on Thursday evening, which investigators believe may be a launch device designed to cause a short circuit. Police confirmed that a confession letter has been received, which references other suspected incidents in North Rhine Westphalia and Brandenburg.

This event follows a similar attack on Tuesday at a substation in Bergheim, where several launch devices were found. In that instance, cables were launched over power lines, causing a short circuit and damaging a fence. A third similar incident occurred in southern Brandenburg near the Jänschwalde power plant, where more than a dozen homemade projectiles resembling New Year's Eve rockets were used to direct conductive material toward high voltage lines. No power outage occurred in Brandenburg.

Authorities are treating these events as coordinated attacks on critical infrastructure. In North Rhine Westphalia, Interior Minister Herbert Reul stated that the acts constitute an attack on the country and noted that investigators are examining possibilities of foreign state sabotage and left wing extremism. In response to the threats, the Brandenburg Interior Ministry announced the creation of a new security center to better protect critical infrastructure.

Reporting on the motive varies. One source mentions a confession letter sent to a newspaper in which the author claims to be a lone actor motivated by the suffering caused by fossil fuels, though the newspaper noted it could not be verified if the author was the actual perpetrator.