Germany investigates possible sabotage on Bundeswehr Navy ship

Returning to its home port at the German Naval base in Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony, the frigate Hessen was allegedly targeted by saboteurs. Investigators discovered an attempt to contaminate the ship’s drinking water system with dozens of liters of used oil.

A private company from Lower Saxony had been contracted to refill the ship’s drinking water supply. Insiders rule out the possibility that the tanks were mistakenly filled incorrectly. The damage was minimal, as German servicemen detected the contamination early, preventing significant pollution. Cleaning all of the ship’s systems would have taken a considerable amount of time.

Germany’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that on Thursday, February 20, a possible security-related incident was detected at the naval arsenal in Wilhelmshaven. The Hessen is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance there.

According to a spokesperson, the circumstances of the incident are currently being investigated by the responsible military and civilian investigative authorities. The investigation has been confirmed by the Wilhelmshaven police and the Federal Office for Military Counterintelligence (BAMAD).

Last week, Germany’s Navy Inspector Jan Christian Kaack stated that the German Navy is being targeted by saboteurs. He noted, that they have seen destruction, meaning sabotage, in more than one unit, which has led to the implementation of countermeasures at shipyards.

Kaack also warned that sabotage attempts would not be limited to ships but could also occur at naval bases.

Sabotage at Germany's military facilities

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, German intelligence services have regularly warned about the increasing threat of espionage and sabotage within the country.

According to research by WDR, NDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, a suspected act of sabotage occurred in mid-January aboard the frigate Emden: unidentified individuals threw dozens of kilograms of metal shavings into its power plant. The contamination was discovered during an inspection at the Blohm+Voss shipyard just before the vessel was set to go to sea for the first time.

The ship was fully cleaned before being commissioned. According to naval experts, such metal debris could have caused significant damage if left undetected. In the case of a corvette, such sabotage could have severely delayed its handover to the Bundeswehr.

Additionally, reports indicate that unknown individuals recently cut cables aboard a minehunter in the city of Rostock. The prosecutor's office is investigating the incident, with sabotage being the primary suspected motive.

In January, unidentified drones were repeatedly spotted over the airbase in Schwesing, where Ukrainian military personnel undergo training.

Furthermore, in August last year, unknown perpetrators attempted to contaminate the drinking water at a NATO airbase in Geilenkirchen.