German Police Defuse 21 Explosive Devices Near Saxony Power Grid
DRESDEN, GERMANY — WEB DESK: German authorities have discovered and neutralised a total of 21 homemade explosive devices near high-voltage electricity infrastructure in the eastern state of Saxony, as investigators continue probing suspected attacks on the country’s power grid.
The Dresden Public Prosecutor General’s Office and Saxony State Criminal Police Office said on Monday that searches of electricity infrastructure uncovered nine additional devices close to high-voltage transmission routes south of the Graustein substation near Schleife in the Görlitz district.
Specialist officers from Saxony’s State Criminal Police Office defused the newly discovered devices, bringing the total number found in the state to 21.
The police operation at the scene, which ran from Friday through Sunday, has now ended. However, the wider criminal investigation remains active.
All 21 Devices Found Near High-Voltage Lines
German public broadcaster Tagesschau reported that all 21 homemade explosive devices were positioned in the immediate vicinity of high-voltage transmission lines south of the Graustein substation.
The discovery has intensified concerns over the security of Germany’s electricity network following a series of suspected sabotage incidents affecting energy infrastructure in different parts of the country.
Authorities have not announced that the devices discovered in Saxony caused a major electricity outage.
The latest official statement also does not publicly establish who planted the devices or conclusively identify a motive. The investigation is being conducted by the Central Office for Extremism Saxony (ZESA) at the Dresden Public Prosecutor General’s Office together with the Saxony State Criminal Police Office.
Manhunt Underway in Wider Grid Sabotage Probe
German authorities have separately been searching for a 48-year-old man in connection with a series of suspected attacks on the country’s electricity network.
Police said the man allegedly sent letters to authorities and media claiming responsibility for sabotage incidents. Investigators also found material believed to be explosive at his residence, according to Reuters.
Authorities have been examining suspected sabotage incidents in several German states, including North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg and Saxony.
In one incident near Bergheim, deliberate short circuits disrupted electricity infrastructure and temporarily knocked several coal-fired generating units offline. Separately, devices resembling rockets with propellant charges were discovered near electricity infrastructure close to the Jänschwalde power plant in Brandenburg.
Investigators are examining whether the incidents are connected.
Critical Infrastructure Security Under Scrutiny
The discoveries have increased attention on the vulnerability of Germany’s critical infrastructure.
Power grids, substations and high-voltage transmission systems are essential to electricity generation and distribution, meaning deliberate attacks can potentially disrupt homes, businesses, transportation and industrial operations.
Germany and other European countries have strengthened protection around critical infrastructure in recent years amid concerns about sabotage, cyberattacks and other forms of hybrid activity.
However, authorities have not established a foreign-state connection to the Saxony devices, and any attribution before investigators announce their findings would be premature.
Reuters reported that investigators examining the broader series of incidents have considered multiple possibilities, including politically motivated extremism and foreign involvement.
Public Asked to Assist Investigation
The Dresden Public Prosecutor General’s Office, Saxony State Criminal Police Office and Görlitz Police Directorate have appealed to members of the public for information that could assist the investigation.
Although the physical search operation around the affected Saxony infrastructure has ended, the investigation into the suspected attacks remains ongoing.
The discovery of 21 devices represents a significant security concern because they were located close to infrastructure responsible for transmitting electricity across the region.
For investigators, the key questions now include who placed the devices, whether the Saxony discoveries are connected to incidents elsewhere in Germany and what motive was behind the suspected attacks.
Until those questions are resolved, authorities have stopped short of publicly attributing responsibility for the Saxony case.
