German police: 21 explosive devices found and defused in power-grid sabotage probe

German police have found 21 explosive devices in an investigation into attacks on the country’s power grid, all of which authorities say were defused.

The devices were discovered in Saxony, in eastern Germany. Prosecutors in the state said Monday that every device had been made safe.

Police said Friday that they were searching for a man who sent letters claiming responsibility for several sabotage actions against the power network the previous week. Investigators issued a public appeal with photographs of the suspect on Saturday. Police also found explosives in his apartment on Friday.

The attempted acts of sabotage took place in Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg. Lignite is mined for electricity production in all three states.

The report also links the investigation to wider German concerns about hybrid operations. German authorities recently said they believed Russia was behind an attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport on Aug. 4. Germany’s interior minister said that incident fit an established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe and warned that Germany should expect to remain a target in the future.