In Saxony, law enforcement officers found 12 homemade explosive devices near the high-voltage power lines of two substations — Berwalde and Graustein. According to the public prosecutor’s office and the police, they had been prepared to cause short circuits and damage to the energy infrastructure. The explosives were defused before they could be detonated; no power cuts were reported.
Briefly about the main points
- Twelve homemade explosive devices were discovered near two substations in Saxony.
- Eight were found near Berwalde, and a further four near Graustein.
- The devices were said to have damaged the high-voltage lines by causing short circuits.
- The police are searching for a 48-year-old man from Hevelsberg.
- Links to similar incidents in other regions are still being investigated.
The operation began following a report from a local resident
A large-scale operation was carried out in the east of the country following information from the law enforcement agencies and a report from a local resident. The search is continuing under the direction of the Görlitz police, who are also appealing to the public for further information.
The devices were discovered near high-voltage power lines south of Berwalde in the Bautzen district, and also east of Graustein near the village of Schleife in the Görlitz district. Specialists from the Saxony State Criminal Police Office defused the devices and handed them over for forensic analysis.
Investigators believe the aim was to damage the high-voltage power lines
The Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that the devices were designed to damage high-voltage power lines by causing a short circuit. Whilst the bomb disposal experts were carrying out their work, power to some of the lines was temporarily cut off.
There was no actual damage to the power grid or any power cuts. An investigation has been launched on suspicion of planning an explosion, attempting to disrupt public infrastructure and engaging in anti-constitutional sabotage.
Incidents of this kind are being investigated in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia
The police are investigating a possible link between the incident in Saxony and the events near the Turnow-Preilack substation in Brandenburg and near Bergheim, not far from Cologne. In Brandenburg, in early September, homemade devices containing wires were found which, according to investigators, were intended to be attached to high-voltage power lines and cause a short circuit.
Near Bergheim, investigators discovered six detonators in a field. Following the sabotage, there were power cuts, and five power units with a combined capacity of around 4.2 GW were temporarily taken off the grid. Law enforcement agencies also inspected power facilities near Bremen, Aachen and in other regions. The investigation has not yet identified a single perpetrator responsible for all the incidents.
The police are searching for a 48-year-old man from Hevelsberg
A 48-year-old German national from Hevelsberg is implicated in the case. According to the investigation, he left a letter admitting responsibility, in which he spoke out against the generation of electricity from fossil fuels.
The police searched his home but did not find the man there and have issued a warrant for his arrest. Investigators are considering «climate extremism» as a possible motive and are checking whether the suspect may have acted alone. The German authorities have not reported any signs of a Russian connection specifically in the Saxony case; checks on high-voltage power lines and other energy infrastructure are continuing.
