German authorities have opened a major terrorism and sabotage investigation following the discovery of multiple improvised explosive and incendiary devices (IEDs) targeting critical energy infrastructure and transport hubs.
The situation escalates a pattern of what the German Federal Government calls ongoing hybrid warfare impacting the country.
Security forces discovered physical explosive and incendiary devices targeting critical infrastructure.
Substation Attack.
Improvised explosive devices were discovered at the Preilack electrical substation. This facility is next to the Jänschwalde coal-fired power plant in Brandenburg.The Damage: Perpetrators damaged transmission lines, causing brief, minor power fluctuations.
Power Grid Sabotage (September 2026).
The Location. On September 1, 2026, “double-digit” improvised explosive devices were discovered at the Turnow-Preilack electrical substation in Brandenburg.
The Target. This substation is a critical high-voltage transmission hub connected to the Jänschwalde coal-fired power plant, the region’s largest energy producer.
The Mechanism.
Specially built makeshift rockets carrying conductive material were fired into extra-high-voltage lines to trigger a massive, region-wide blackout.
At least one device detonated, causing a spontaneous unit shutdown and power line damage, though grid operator 50Hertz quickly restored service.
Suspects. The Brandenburg State Criminal Police Office is investigating.
Interior Minister Jan Redmann stated they are looking into both foreign state-sponsored actors and far-left extremist groups (who previously attacked lines feeding Berlin and a nearby Tesla factory).
Second Substation. Hours after the Preilack discovery, a separate deliberate short-circuit attack knocked out lines at the Bergheim substation near Cologne, placing the entire country’s energy infrastructure on high alert.
The Brandenburg State Criminal Police Office and bomb disposal experts have compiled initial technical details regarding the improvised weapons used to strike the Turnow-Preilack substation.
The Weapon System. Perpetrators deployed more than a dozen “rocket-like” projectile devices. Local network operator 50Hertz noted they resembled highly modified, heavy-duty New Year’s Eve fireworks but featured specially engineered propellant charges built for physical stability and direct trajectories.
The Sabotage Payload. The rockets carried conductive cables/materials. When fired directly into the overhead extra-high-voltage lines, the payload dropped across the conductors to create an immediate, intentional conductive path to the ground.The Resulting Impact: This triggered two massive short circuits and bright flashes of light across the overhead transmission lines. The resulting feedback loop forced a spontaneous safety shutdown of Unit B at the nearby Jänschwalde power plant.
Operational Sophistication. Brandenburg Interior Minister Jan Redmann stated that “we were damn lucky” because only one of the double-digit rockets reached its target line.
The precision setup required the perpetrators to camp out and construct complex launching platforms hidden directly beneath the power lines over several days, demonstrating a high level of technical expertise.
Note: Close-up photographs showing the technical anatomy of the improvised rocket devices and the specific copper wire configurations have been withheld from the public by the Potsdam Police headquarters to protect the integrity of the active counter-terrorism investigation.