A general view after a sabotage attempt which had been made to short-circuit a power grid installation in Dormagen, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on Sep 4, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Petra Wischgoll)
04 Sep 2026 11:06PM
FRANKFURT: Launch devices were found near high-voltage lines and a transformer station south of Duesseldorf in western Germany, utility RWE said on Friday (Sep 4), heightening a state of alert after two suspected sabotage attempts this week.The power plant operator said its RWE Power division had increased security measures in close coordination with grid operator Amprion and with authorities, though its operations had not been impaired.Germany has been the focus of European fears about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure this week, ahead of a closely watched election on Sunday in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.The far-right, Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany (AfD) holds a commanding lead in surveys.
Germany's Interior Ministry said it was "no coincidence" that such "hybrid attacks" were happening on the eve of the election.Bild newspaper and other news outlets reported that the launchers found in Dormagen, south of Duesseldorf, were similar to others found at a substation in nearby Bergheim, where objects were hauled over power lines to short-circuit grid infrastructure.The Bergheim incident took 4,200 megawatts in generating capacity offline on Tuesday but no blackouts occurred.
