German authorities are searching for a 48-year-old man suspected of carrying out a series of sabotage attacks on electricity infrastructure, with federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt describing the case as one of "climate extremism." The suspect, identified in German media reports as Daniel V., is believed to have used homemade rocket-like devices to fire metal wires across high-voltage overhead power lines, attempting to cause short-circuits and knock coal-fired power stations off the grid.
The attacks — and attempted attacks — targeted substations in several locations, including near Jänschwalde in the eastern state of Brandenburg and at Bergheim and Dormagen in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. At the Bergheim site, the short-circuit caused five lignite power plant units to be taken offline temporarily, and footage circulating on social media showed flashes and explosions along the high-voltage lines. No widespread power outages affecting consumers were reported. Police later deployed officers near the Weisweiler and Ganderkesee substations as well, following leads from confession letters.
The suspect sent handwritten letters to media outlets, including the German newspaper taz, and to security officials, claiming sole responsibility and citing opposition to fossil fuels as his motive. "Electricity generation from fossil fuels is a crime that causes unspeakable suffering," the letter read, according to the taz, which reported that the suspect's own mother recognised the handwriting on the document and confirmed it was her son's. She told reporters he had a strong sense of justice but had always had a rebellious streak, and called his mobile phone in front of a journalist, leaving a voicemail: "Daniel, call me back — it's urgent." The letter also made clear the author acted alone and did not want the attacks attributed to organised activist groups.
By Friday evening, a police special operations unit had stormed a converted truck-camper belonging to the suspect near the Hambach Forest — a woodland in western Germany that became a focal point of climate protests during years of demonstrations against open-cast lignite mining nearby. The suspect was not found inside the vehicle and remained at large, with North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul saying he was believed to be on foot in the area.
The case raises uncomfortable questions about the radicalisation of lone actors motivated by climate concerns, even as German and European authorities are simultaneously tracking a separate and much broader pattern of suspected Russian-linked sabotage targeting defence and infrastructure sites across the continent. Minister Dobrindt cautioned that investigations were ongoing and a final assessment of the motive and background had not yet been reached. If confirmed, the case would mark one of the most significant instances of climate-motivated infrastructure sabotage in Germany in recent years.