Other MoA event in Bergheim Power Substation area, Germany on Tue 1st September 2026

BERLIN (AP) — Authorities said Wednesday that two incidents that disrupted power distribution systems in eastern and western Germany were being investigated as possible acts of sabotage, with one also being examined for possible links to terrorism.

Multiple explosive devices were found Tuesday morning at a substation near the Jänschwalde coal-fired power plant in Brandenburg in northeastern Germany. Hours later, a short circuit knocked power lines out of service at the Bergheim power substation near Cologne in western Germany — an incident described by security officials as a deliberate act.

Neither incident affected the general power supply in their areas. Authorities are investigating the incidents but have not named any suspects, nor have they said if they could be connected. They say possible suspects could include a foreign power or left-wing extremists.

The developments come as Germany is on high alert after the government on Tuesday blamed Russia for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4 using a drone laden with explosives.

“A substation is the nerve center of our daily lives. Anyone who attacks it isn’t just attacking a tin roof — they’re attacking our country, our economy, our daily lives, and all of us,” said Herbert Reul, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where Bergheim is located. “Critical infrastructure is the Achilles’ heel of our society. Perhaps we haven’t taken this issue seriously enough over the years.”