Berlin-Marzahn – Another act of sabotage affected parts of Berlin’s power grid early Monday morning. Around 4 a.m., unidentified individuals set a fire beneath a cable bridge on Boxberger Straße, damaging two 110 kV high-voltage cables and several 10 kV lines. As a result, 19 commercial businesses had to be temporarily disconnected from the regular power grid. Stromnetz Berlin subsequently supplied them via a large-scale generator, while households remained unaffected. The group “Kinder des Zorns” (Children of Wrath) has since claimed responsibility for the act. State security authorities are investigating, though the police have not yet publicly confirmed the authenticity of the claim of responsibility.
Representative image: AI-generated
Act of sabotage hits high- and medium-voltage grid
According to the police, the perpetrators placed objects beneath the power lines and then set them on fire. The resulting heat damaged two 110,000-volt lines as well as several medium-voltage cables. However, a major power outage was averted because the grid was able to partially compensate for the loss.
The attack nonetheless had immediate consequences for 19 commercial businesses. Stromnetz Berlin initially disconnected them from the regular grid and later provided an emergency power supply. In addition, the grid operator began repairs and implemented extra security measures for the affected area.
Claim of responsibility names three companies as targets
Following the act of sabotage, a claim of responsibility from the previously unknown group “Children of Wrath” (Kinder des Zorns) appeared on the Indymedia platform. In the statement, the group explicitly names Swissbit Germany, Finetech, and Emerson/Flexim as targets. They justify the attack by citing products and activities that, according to them, can also be used for military purposes.
The authors also state that they deliberately disrupted the companies’ business operations. However, it has not yet been confirmed whether the statement actually originated with the perpetrators. Consequently, state security authorities are investigating possible motives and background details alongside the circumstances of the incident itself.
Berlin faces another attack on its power infrastructure
This latest act of sabotage comes just nine months after a far more severe attack on Berlin’s electricity grid. On January 3, an arson attack in Lichterfelde damaged several high-voltage power lines, initially cutting off the power supply to around 45,400 households and 2,200 commercial customers.
Following previous attacks, Berlin had announced additional protective measures for critical parts of its energy infrastructure. Nevertheless, perpetrators have once again succeeded in causing significant fire damage to bundled high- and medium-voltage power lines. It is not yet publicly known whether the cable bridge in Marzahn was among the facilities subject to enhanced security measures.
Author: Blackout News
Sources: Taz (07.10.26) – Berliner Morgenpost (06.10.26) – rbb24 (05.10.26) – Polizei Berlin (05.10.26)