Germany Probes Two Power Substation Sabotage Incidents

German authorities are investigating two separate suspected sabotage attacks on critical power infrastructure that occurred within hours of each other on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, amid heightened national security concerns following the government's accusation that Russia was behind a foiled drone attack at Leipzig airport last month. The incidents, which targeted substations in the eastern state of Brandenburg and the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, did not cause widespread blackouts but disrupted operations at several coal-fired power plants. The first incident occurred Tuesday morning at a substation near the Jänschwalde coal plant in Preilack, Brandenburg. Police reported that multiple explosive devices, described as rocket-like objects with propellant charges similar to fireworks, were found at the site. Officials said more than a dozen devices were present, but only one successfully detonated, carrying a conductive cable into a high-voltage power line and causing a short circuit. The attack led to a brief service interruption, though the general power supply was not affected.