Germany investigates navy sabotage: Several military ships taken out of service
Two men damaged several naval ships in Germany (photo: Getty Images)
Two men have been detained in Germany on suspicion of attempting to disable several German Navy ships, Politico reports.
The Hamburg public prosecutor's office said that a 37-year-old Romanian citizen and a 54-year-old Greek citizen were arrested in Hamburg and in a village in northern Greece, respectively. Law enforcement officers also searched several locations in Germany, Greece, and Romania.
Prosecutors believe the suspects worked at the Port of Hamburg and carried out acts of sabotage on several German Navy corvettes. The damage included pouring kilograms of sand into engines, puncturing water pipes, removing fuel tank caps, and disabling fuses.
At present, there are no official versions as to who was behind the sabotage, but German political circles suspect that Russia may be involved.
"The modus operandi and the apparent objective fit a Russian pattern of using targeted acts of sabotage against militarily relevant and critical infrastructure to prepare for attacks and spread terror in Germany through hybrid methods," said German lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter.
According to a study, at least 145 cases of sabotage have been recorded in Europe since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
These actions generally did not result in deaths or injuries but affected the operation of military equipment and various infrastructure facilities.
Previously, Russian military intelligence has become more active in European countries. To carry out sabotage, the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia recruits young people online. At the same time, governments of various countries are trying to counter the growing threats of sabotage and intimidation financed by Russia.
