The suspected saboteur arrested in Germany had allegedly planned more than 100 attacks targeting the country’s electricity infrastructure, according to Herbert Reul, Interior Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The suspect, identified as Daniel V., was arrested Tuesday in North Rhine-Westphalia following several alleged attempts to sabotage electricity infrastructure in different parts of Germany.
According to Reul, the suspect had identified around 40 electricity facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia as potential targets. Police also reportedly seized a notebook containing references to more than 160 possible targets, some of them located in neighboring countries.
Reul said the arrest may have prevented further attacks, while investigators continue to determine whether the suspect acted alone or had accomplices.
Authorities are also examining whether the suspect may have been recruited or directed by a foreign power. Reul stressed, however, that there is currently no evidence establishing such a connection.
The case has emerged shortly before elections in Saxony-Anhalt and following a suspected drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which the German government has described as a suspected hybrid attack potentially linked to Russia.
German authorities have increasingly warned of threats to critical infrastructure, including electricity networks, transportation hubs and other strategic facilities, amid heightened security concerns surrounding Russia’s alleged espionage and sabotage activities across Europe.
The investigation into Daniel V. remains ongoing as authorities work to establish the full scope of the alleged plot, the intended targets and whether others were involved.
