German police hunt suspect after finding 12 explosive devices near power substations

Discovery of explosives near eastern substations

German police and judicial authorities announced on Saturday that they are investigating two new sabotage attempts against high-voltage electricity infrastructure in the east of the country. Following an alert from a local resident on Friday, investigators located twelve homemade explosive devices positioned near transmission lines close to the Bärwalde substation near Bautzen and the Graustein substation near Görlitz. Forensic specialists confirmed that the explosive mechanisms were intended to trigger short circuits and inflict severe physical damage on the high-voltage lines. Specialized bomb disposal technicians deployed to both sites and neutralized all twelve devices. Grid operators temporarily de-energized the targeted electrical lines during the bomb disposal operation to ensure safety. Regional judicial authorities confirmed that the incident resulted in no structural destruction and caused no disruption to the regional power supply.

Manhunt for extremist climate suspect

German law enforcement agencies intensified a nationwide search on Saturday for a 48-year-old man suspected of orchestrating the sabotage campaign. German authorities have classified the individual as an extremist climate activist who has been actively sought since Friday. The suspect is linked to a series of attacks and attempted strikes against power grid installations in both eastern and western Germany that began on Tuesday. On Friday, police officers executed a search warrant at the suspect's residence in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Regional authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia reported that the search yielded suspicious substances and objects suspected of being explosives. Investigators are examining potential operational links between the eastern sites and ongoing inquiries into similar substation sabotage in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Claim letters and interior ministry response

The suspect transmitted two separate claim letters to several German media outlets, including the national news agency dpa. In one of the letters, the author declared that producing electricity from fossil fuels is a crime. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt addressed the ongoing investigation on Saturday, stating that the technical details included in the text established the author's direct involvement in the attacks.

The knowledge revealed in these letters is clearly that of the perpetrator.

Dobrindt stated that the actions most likely represent climate terrorism carried out by an isolated lone actor rather than an organized cell. Federal investigators continue to analyze the physical and digital evidence tied to the distribution of both statements.

Broader campaign targeting German energy grid

The latest incident follows a series of physical assaults against German electrical infrastructure throughout the year. On Tuesday, two power installations situated 600 kilometers apart near Cologne in the west and Berlin in the east were targeted by artisanal flying devices. While those strikes and the Friday incidents briefly disturbed the operation of neighboring power stations, neither caused widespread power cuts. German authorities had previously investigated foreign involvement and far-left groups following earlier infrastructure strikes. On 3 January 2026, an arson attack claimed by the far-left group Vulkangruppe disabled an electrical facility in Berlin, leaving more than 100,000 residents without power. Police and security agencies are continuing their investigations into both the lone suspect and previous unresolved infrastructure attacks.