Police discover homemade explosives near Brandenburg power substation
Authorities found several improvised explosive devices at the Turnow-Preilack substation that supplies the Jänschwalde power plant, causing a brief outage but no injuries.
Police in Brandenburg reported the discovery of several homemade explosive and incendiary devices at the Turnow-Preilack electrical substation, which distributes power from the Jänschwalde plant. The devices, described by grid operator 50Hertz as small rockets resembling New Year’s Eve fireworks, were found after a potential damage to a power line was detected around 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Some of the rockets had been launched, while others remained unexploded, leading to a short power cut that was quickly restored.
A police spokeswoman said evidence was being secured and bomb-disposal experts were on site, adding that there was no immediate danger to the public and no injuries were reported. The Brandenburg state criminal police office has taken over the investigation.
State Premier Dietmar Woidke called the incident an "attempted attack" and emphasized the need to protect critical infrastructure. The incident follows earlier sabotage attempts on the Berlin-area power grid, including a January arson attack on high-voltage lines and a March 2024 fire on a pylon serving a nearby Tesla factory.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul have linked recent hybrid threats to Russia, though no official attribution has been made for this specific incident.