Suspicious sabotage incidents on the rise across Europe's defense sector
Over the past month, Germany and several other European countries have seen a series of suspicious incidents — explosions, fires and infrastructure damage — targeting defense companies and power grids. Investigators are examining possible Russian involvement in several cases.
Germany alone has recorded at least seven suspicious incidents over the past month, while similar fires and explosions at defense companies have occurred since early August in Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Italy, according to the BBC.
Cable damage and grid disruptions
On August 23, cables were deliberately cut near Backnang in Baden-Württemberg, disrupting train traffic and communications. Since early September, similar incidents have occurred in Germany almost daily — near Cologne, a deliberately caused short circuit shut down five units of a lignite power plant, while in Brandenburg homemade devices were found that had knocked out another power unit. A similar device was found near Dormagen, and police received a letter in which someone claimed responsibility citing environmental motives, though investigators doubt the letter's authenticity.
Explosions and arson
An explosion at a train station in Augsburg injured two people, while in Munich incendiary devices were thrown from a car near the offices of defense companies Rohde & Schwarz and Helsing, causing a fire. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed a case of deliberate arson at a factory, while investigation into another fire in Lublin is ongoing.
Arrests and other countries
In Slovakia, two Latvian citizens and one Ukrainian citizen were arrested over an alleged attempt to set fire to a drone manufacturing plant in Prešov. Estonia is investigating a fire at a building used by drone maker Milrem Robotics, examining possible Russian involvement, while authorities in Bulgaria and Italy currently attribute their fires and an explosion to internal factors.
Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution warned in July of rising sabotage risks, and the Federal Criminal Police has recorded 165 suspected sabotage cases over the past year. Not all incidents have been linked to Russia, and several investigations remain ongoing.
