German Substation Saboteur Sends Confession Letters, Suspect at Large

German investigators are hunting a suspected saboteur who sent two handwritten letters claiming responsibility for a series of attacks on electricity infrastructure in the states of Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Investigators from the ARD Hauptstadtstudio report that the letters are considered authentic, as they contain detailed technical knowledge of how the attacks were carried out.

Two Letters, Multiple Attacks

In the first letter, the suspect states he was the person who "caused short circuits in the power grid around the Jänschwalde and Schwarze Pumpe power plants" in Brandenburg. He cites as his motive opposition to fossil fuel electricity generation, which he describes as a crime, and also references Germany's role in the Middle East conflict, accusing Berlin of supporting what he calls a "genocide in Palestine". In a second letter, he claims responsibility for further attacks on power infrastructure at Gohr, Bergheim-Rheidt, Dormagen, and Weisweiler in North Rhine-Westphalia. Both letters are signed with a full name.

Suspect Still at Large

The suspect is believed to be a German national born in 1977 from Gevelsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Police searched his home on Thursday but did not find him. A large number of investigators subsequently deployed to the Weisweiler power plant near Aachen, following hints in the confession letters. A suspicious device was also discovered at a substation in Dormagen on Thursday evening — described by police as a possible launch mechanism, similar to devices found at other locations.

Growing Public Concern

The confession comes amid rising public anxiety over the increasing frequency of attacks on critical infrastructure including power substations and railway lines across Germany. Security experts warn that Germany's population must come to terms with a long-term pattern of such incidents.