‘Double-digit’ devices involved in effort to disrupt Brandenburg power substation – Europe live | Europe
German police investigating reported explosives at Brandenburg power substation
Back to Germany now for a bit…
As reported earlier, we are expecting to hear from the German government later this afternoon, formally blaming Russia for the recent attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport (10:17).
But in the meanwhile, German police are investigating some explosives found at a power substation in Turnow-Preilack in Brandenburg, near the coal-fired Jänschwalde power plant.
“Evidence is being secured,” a police spokesperson told German news agency DPA. “Bomb disposal experts are on site.”
Some damage to a power line was discovered this morning, Die Welt said. Local media outlet Märkische Allgemeine reported that explosives had been found and defused at the scene, but police insisted there was no danger to the public.
Investigators believe the explosives were intended to cause a widespread power outage, but network operator 50Hertz told MAZ that there was only a “brief interruption” to its services.
It further told Reuters that “as yet unidentified perpetrators are believed to have caused damage to several power lines in 50Hertz’s transmission grid.”
As often with breaking news story, it’s important to remember that we do not know anything about who could be behind this incident and it may well be a very different story to the Leipzig incident.
Handesblatt noted that in January a group of suspected left-wing extremists set fire to and short-circuited power lines near a different plant in southwest Berlin.
More on this when we have it.
Key events
Jakub Krupa
Just as explained earlier, it’s important to acknowledge we do not really know who could be behind the attempt to disrupt the Brandenburg power substation, so it’s responsible not to speculate at this stage.
But expect this questions to be asked a lot in the coming hours and days.
Former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis seems to have a view on this as he mockingly responded to a post on the Brandenburg incident on X, saying:
“How many times can Russia attack Europe and still remain ‘innocent until proven guilty’? This question will be discussed at the next meeting of the Coalition of the Prevaricating, to be held in the coming weeks and months, say sources.”
Jakub Krupa
Just a reminder that separately from today’s incident in Brandenburg, we are also waiting for an update from the German government on the Leipzig drone incident last month.
It is widely expected that they will formally attribute the incident to Russia. Let’s see.
Foreign minister Johann Wadephul and interior minister Alexander Dobrindt are expected to address the media in the next 10 to 20 minutes.
‘Double-digit’ devices involved in attempt to disrupt Brandenburg power station, authorities say
Jan Redmann, interior minister in the German state of Brandenburg, is now briefing the press on the incident at the power substation.
He says that the incident involved several attempts to short-circuit the grid and cause a blackout, which worked in two places, but failed in “several other” cases.
He doesn’t offer more detail on what it exactly was, with German media reports claiming the devices may have involved explosives or fireworks.
He says he cannot give an exact number of devices involved in the incident – but says they are in “double digits” – as the site is still being searched.
He says the fact that there was no power outage shows that “numerous precautions” in the system worked as intended.
Stefan Kapferer, CEO of the grid operator 50Hertz, also focuses on the fact there attempt to disrupt the substation’s operation was unsuccessful.
But he also says such incidents must be treated “seriously,” and says the operator will “work closely with security agencies in the future again,” as he says that “such teamwork as experienced today must function like that in the future as such threats unfortunately will become more frequent.”
CEO of energy produced LEAG Adi Roesch said one block in the power plant switched off as a result of the incident, but suffered no damage. Engineers are working on restarting it this evening, he said.
Over in Germany, Dietmar Woidke – premier of Brandenburg state, where the incident took place – condemned the targeting of the power lines.
“We take attacks on our critical infrastructure very seriously,” he said in a statement quoted by AFP, adding there was a “worryingly high frequency” of such episodes.
“Anyone who tries to sabotage our critical infrastructure and paralyse society is attacking all of us. But we will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed or intimidated by criminal activity.”
Kallas also offers a strong endorsement for further help to Ukraine, as she says:
“Every interceptor we provide to Ukraine means a Russian missile that does not reach a Ukrainian school, home or hospital. And every support we give to Ukraine strengthens European security.”
EU will not let Russia ‘scare us away from supporting Ukraine,’ Kallas says
Meanwhile, EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is speaking from Wicklow, Ireland just now, briefing the press after today’s meeting of defence ministers.
She says Russia’s war is “becoming more ruthless and destructive” and “not closer to ending,” but insists the EU will not allow Moscow to use its hybrid attacks to “scare us away from supporting Ukraine” – quite the opposite.
“First, Ukraine.
Russia’s war is becoming more ruthless and destructive, but it’s unfortunately not closer to ending. Russia’s army is bogged down on the ground, and that is why they are killing civilians from the skies. And this is terror by design in the Black Sea. Russian strikes on grain ships are deliberately putting global food supplies at risk.
Russia is also hitting Europe with a wave of increasingly kinetic hybrid attacks. With this, Russia wants to scare us away from supporting Ukraine. They will not succeed. To the contrary, today also the discussions that we had, we will increase our support to Ukraine and invest in our own defence.
This is the best way to stop Putin. We are also planning the most far reaching sanctions against Russia.”
She says Ukraine is militarily “putting Russia under pressure.”
Jakub Krupa
The German government’s press conference on the Leipzig incident is expected around 5.30pm local time (4.30pm UK).
I will keep an eye on this for you.
Here’s the background:
A police spokesperson told AFP that at least one of the devices detonated but others failed to go off, she said, adding that no one was hurt and there was no major blackout in the area, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) southeast of Berlin.
German police investigating reported explosives at Brandenburg power substation
Back to Germany now for a bit…
As reported earlier, we are expecting to hear from the German government later this afternoon, formally blaming Russia for the recent attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport (10:17).
But in the meanwhile, German police are investigating some explosives found at a power substation in Turnow-Preilack in Brandenburg, near the coal-fired Jänschwalde power plant.
“Evidence is being secured,” a police spokesperson told German news agency DPA. “Bomb disposal experts are on site.”
Some damage to a power line was discovered this morning, Die Welt said. Local media outlet Märkische Allgemeine reported that explosives had been found and defused at the scene, but police insisted there was no danger to the public.
Investigators believe the explosives were intended to cause a widespread power outage, but network operator 50Hertz told MAZ that there was only a “brief interruption” to its services.
It further told Reuters that “as yet unidentified perpetrators are believed to have caused damage to several power lines in 50Hertz’s transmission grid.”
As often with breaking news story, it’s important to remember that we do not know anything about who could be behind this incident and it may well be a very different story to the Leipzig incident.
Handesblatt noted that in January a group of suspected left-wing extremists set fire to and short-circuited power lines near a different plant in southwest Berlin.
More on this when we have it.
King Harald’s funeral will be held on 9 September at Oslo Cathedral, and he will be laid to rest in the royal mausoleum at Akershus Fortress in Oslo.
The funeral is likely to attract lots of foreign dignitaries and leaders.
Starting from today, members of the public will be able to pay their last respects to him by visiting the palace chapel, where his body is lying in state.