Man Held Over Sabotage Attacks On Germany’s Power Grid

A 48-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a series of sabotage attacks on Germany’s electricity grid after spending several days on the run, police said.

The suspect was detained on Tuesday near the Weisweiler power plant in western Germany. Cologne police said explosives were found on him when he was taken into custody.

Arrest Near Weisweiler Power Plant

Police said a tent in nearby undergrowth was also discovered, rigged with additional explosives.

The suspect, identified by German media as Daniel V, was believed to have written letters claiming responsibility for the attacks. The incidents, police said, occurred in Brandenburg and Saxony in the east, as well as in North Rhine-Westphalia in the west.

Cologne police and the Cologne Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement on Tuesday that did not give further details about the man, or specify how many incidents he was linked to, or where they were located.

Explosives Being Examined

Police said the explosives recovered during the arrest were being examined by a bomb disposal expert.

Officers were also checking the surrounding area to determine whether any other devices had been set up.

Before the arrest on Tuesday, police said they found several launch devices on high-voltage lines near the Weisweiler plant on Monday afternoon. They said the discovery also included “another confession letter”.

Investigators said the incidents in the past week followed a similar approach across the grid. They said rockets were used to shoot wires across high-voltage cables in order to trigger short circuits.

Attacks Affecting Power Output

Police said the sabotage had affected electricity generation, with power-generating units at some plants temporarily taken off the grid.

German media reported receiving letters from the suspect previously. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said the handwritten letters contained information that had not yet been made public.

The letters were apparently signed with the first name Daniel, while the surname was withheld in line with German privacy rules. The correspondence gave a residential address in the town of Gevelsberg.

Cologne police had previously said they were searching for a 48-year-old from Gevelsberg in connection with sabotage of electrical substations in three German states. Investigators said explosives were also found during a search of the man’s apartment.

In Saxony alone, police said they located 21 devices near high-voltage power lines last Friday and Saturday.

Interior Minister Warns Against Assumptions

Interior Minister Armin Schuster said the incidents could have led to a regional blackout, but he cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

He said the way the attacks were carried out was unusual, and so was the manner of the confession.

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9 September 2026