Stromversorgung: Bundesanwaltschaft übernimmt Ermittlungen zu Strom-Sabotage

On June 12, 2023, the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Germany assumed responsibility for investigating reports of power grid sabotage. This decision came after a series of attacks targeted the country's electrical infrastructure. The Karlsruhe-based authority deemed the case important and took it over, according to a spokesperson. The investigation centers around allegations of constitutionally motivated sabotage. Earlier reports by "Spiegel" had covered the initial incidents.

A 48-year-old suspect was suspected of attempting to sabotage power lines near coal-fired power plants in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, and Saxony. He managed to successfully sabotage some instances. On Tuesday, he was apprehended during a large-scale operation near the Weisweiler power plant in Aachen, Germany. He was taken into custody following the incident.

Based on the investigation, the suspect is alleged to have constructed launch devices and used homemade rockets to shoot at overhead power cables. This resulted in at least two short circuits, causing individual blocks of nearby power plants to be disabled. There were no immediate damages to the public. The suspect reportedly intended to continue his attacks, according to North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU).

"He was still on the move and wanted to continue. This game has ended today," Reul stated on the day of the arrest. "At the moment, everything points to a lone perpetrator, and everything was within his power."