Germany has reported two additional suspected attacks on its electricity grid overnight, intensifying concerns about Russian hybrid warfare. These incidents occur as the country remains on high alert following a previous drone attack that Berlin has attributed to Russia.
Local police in Dormagen, located in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, are investigating an alleged attempt to short-circuit a power grid installation. According to the German newspaper Bild, police have received a letter claiming responsibility for this incident. In a separate event, authorities in Ganderkesee, a town in the north, cordoned off a transformer station on Friday due to suspicious circumstances. A police spokesperson confirmed a discovery requiring their response but did not offer further details, emphasizing that there was no danger to the public.
These latest events follow two other suspected sabotage cases earlier in the week. In Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, vandalism at a substation temporarily took lignite power plant units with a combined capacity of 4,200 megawatts offline. In the eastern state of Brandenburg, devices carrying conductive material damaged power lines at a critical high-voltage node.
Germany, a NATO member actively supporting Ukraine, has frequently accused Moscow of engaging in hybrid attacks, including espionage and sabotage, allegations that Russia denies. The heightened alert follows an incident on the night of August 4 in Leipzig, where a drone found near a Ukrainian cargo plane was discovered to carry explosives. Police used a robot to defuse the device. Another drone with traces of explosives was reportedly found near the airport weeks later. The Leipzig airport is a significant hub for military goods transport for the German military and NATO allies, and it also serves as a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Germany has increasingly found itself "in the crosshairs of hybrid attackers." Initially, Berlin spoke only of possible involvement by "foreign powers," but on Tuesday, it explicitly named Moscow as responsible for the August drone attack. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the Leipzig airport attack as fitting the "well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe" and indicated an expectation of further targeting against Germany.
Concerns about Russian aggression are also being voiced by other European Union members. Denmark's national security and intelligence service reported on Thursday that Russia is attempting to recruit Danish citizens to help plan sabotage operations against Danish defense firms with ties to Ukraine. The head of counter-espionage for Denmark's PET agency, Emil Gresholm, stated that Russia is planning and executing sabotage acts against defense companies and the defense industry in Europe, with Danish companies also being targets of such planning. Gresholm noted that Russia's intelligence services are actively preparing sabotage acts directed at Denmark's defense industry. He also revealed that PET has uncovered instances of Russia attempting to recruit Danes via social media and gaming platforms for tasks like photographing companies or infrastructure, which could aid in sabotage planning.
Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, denied the allegations, stating that Gresholm failed to provide concrete evidence. Barbin suggested that Gresholm's statements acknowledged the security risks Denmark faces due to its involvement in the Ukraine conflict and its role as a logistics base for Ukrainian armed forces.
