Deliberate attack: Left-wing extremists claim responsibility for Berlin blackout
Illustrative photo: German police investigate the cable bridge arson incident (Getty Images)
Responsibility for the arson of a cable bridge in Berlin, which left tens of thousands of homes without electricity, has been claimed by the Vulkangruppe far-left extremist group. A letter from the extremists has been published online, according to the German outlet Tagesschau.
It is reported that on the afternoon of January 4, security authorities discovered a letter in which responsibility for the attack was claimed by the far-left extremist group known as the Vulkangruppe. Experts from Germany’s law enforcement and domestic security agencies verified the letter and deemed it credible.
According to the State Security Department of the Criminal Police Office (LKA), the letter contains a number of details that could only have been known by the perpetrators of the attack. The method of the attack also corresponds to the tactics extremists typically use when targeting energy infrastructure. The investigation, however, is ongoing, as there is no precise information about the culprits.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said during a briefing on January 4 that the arson of the cable bridge over the Teltow Canal is "unacceptable," and that the perpetrators of the incident are "clearly left-wing extremists."
"It is unacceptable that clearly left-wing extremists are attacking our power grid again, thereby putting human lives at risk," he said.
In the southwestern part of Berlin on Sunday, January 4, a large-scale power outage occurred. Following the fire on the cable bridge, more than 45,000 households were left without electricity. Preliminary reports indicated that unknown extremists may have been involved in the incident.
Last spring, several European countries reported major disruptions to electricity supply. Power supply issues were reported in Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and in one region of France.
