Two detained in Germany over suspicions of warship sabotage

German authorities on Tuesday detained two men accused of attempting to disable German Navy vessels, amid a broader wave of suspected sabotage incidents across Europe since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Hamburg public prosecutor’s office said in a statement that a 37-year-old Romanian national and a 54-year-old Greek national had been arrested in Hamburg and a village in northern Greece, respectively. Authorities also searched three properties in Hamburg, Greece and Romania, News.Az reports, citing Politico.

Prosecutors said the suspects worked at the Port of Hamburg and had carried out acts of sabotage on several corvettes — the smallest class of warship — intended for the German Navy. The damage included pouring some 20 kilograms of grit into an engine, puncturing water lines, removing fuel caps and disabling safety switches.

The Hamburg authorities said they were looking into who else might be behind the attacks.

German lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter, from the ruling coalition Christian Democrats, told POLITICO on Tuesday: “The modus operandi and the apparent objective fit a Russian pattern of using targeted acts of sabotage against militarily relevant and critical infrastructure to prepare for attacks and spread terror in Germany through hybrid methods.”

However, he added: “It is necessary to wait and see whether this assessment applies in this case as well.”

Europe has suffered at least 145 sabotage incidents since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to a study by the AP news agency. The acts, which have tended not to cause fatalities or significant damage, have disrupted Europe by keeping intelligence, police and prosecution assets busy with cross-border investigations. AP reported that Russia has in some cases used common criminals to perform minor acts of sabotage.

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli