Authorities have discovered several firing mechanisms in connection with the suspected attack on a substation in Bergheim, located in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis area of North Rhine-Westphalia. According to officials, six such devices were found during the ongoing investigation in an adjacent cornfield, and they are presumed to be linked to the incident. Initially, more details were unclear.
Investigators stated that the devices appear to have been designed to transport pyrotechnic objects via a wire, thereby achieving a throwing range over the power line. The act has been classified as an “attack on critical infrastructure.” Authorities are currently examining potential connections to similar recent incidents in Brandenburg and have also launched a public tip line.
Prior to this discovery, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister, Herbert Reul (CDU), had mentioned possible sabotage, stating in Düsseldorf that they are investigating two directions: sabotage directed by foreign states and far-left extremism. He added that neither possibility can currently be ruled out.
During the incident, system failures occurred because the perpetrators apparently intentionally caused a short circuit by bringing conductive material-likely cables-onto the overhead line.
