Germany targets two more electricity substations after suspected sabotage attacks

Twelve improvised explosive devices were found near high-voltage lines close to two electricity substations in eastern Germany, raising the possibility of further attacks on the country’s power network.

Regional authorities said the devices were discovered Friday near Baerwalde, close to Bautzen, and Graustein, near Görlitz, after a resident reported them. Bomb disposal experts neutralized the explosives. Police said nearby power lines were briefly disconnected during the operation.

Authorities are investigating a possible connection with other incidents at electricity substations earlier in the week. They said the attacks may have sought to interrupt electricity supplies from coal-fired power plants and cause widespread outages.

The investigation follows reports that a 48-year-old man identified by German media as Daniel V. sent letters claiming responsibility for the attacks. Authorities reportedly found suspected explosives during a search of his apartment. Bild also reported that an armed elite police team raided a truck allegedly linked to the activist in Hambach Forest in North Rhine-Westphalia, but did not arrest him.

Hambach Forest holds strong symbolic importance for Germany’s climate movement. Activists have protested for years against plans to clear large areas of forest to expand a nearby open-cast lignite mine. German power networks have recently faced numerous attacks, some claimed by far-left activists. The most serious occurred in Berlin in January, leaving tens of thousands of homes and thousands of businesses without power for almost a week during winter.