Berlin Blackout in January Ruled a Terrorist Attack
An expert commission concluded that the five-day power outage in Berlin in January was a terrorist attack, calling it a wake-up call for German cities and urging better protection of critical infrastructure.
A specially appointed expert commission, formed after the arson attack on Berlin's power grid, has determined that the five-day electricity blackout in January was a terrorist attack. According to a report published by "European Pravda," the commission described the incident as a "wake-up call" for cities across Germany. Although power was restored within a few days, the report stressed that Berlin was unprepared for larger, longer, or hybrid crises. The commission recommended increasing federal funding for crisis preparedness, expanding emergency assistance systems, and creating a new position of chief resilience officer. The report did not specify the total cost of the outage or possible motives of the attackers.
In response, Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner stated that a package of 66 measures is already being implemented to make the city safer and more resilient to crises. He pledged further steps following the commission's recommendations.
Recall that in January, a fire on a cable bridge left 50,000 households and over 2,000 businesses without power for several days. Later, the left-wing radical group "Vulkangruppe" claimed responsibility for the arson. The German Federal Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into membership in a terrorist organization, sabotage, arson, and disruption of infrastructure.
