Germany searches for suspect who claimed responsibility for power-grid sabotage

German police are searching for a man who has reportedly claimed responsibility for a series of sabotage incidents targeting the country’s electricity infrastructure, investigators said on 4 September 2026. Handwritten letters in which the author admits the attacks have been assessed by authorities as authentic, and a manhunt is under way in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Technical details and motives described in letters

In two handwritten letters the author identifies himself as the person "who caused short circuits in the power grid around the Jänschwalde and Schwarze Pumpe power plants." The letters include a separate sheet describing the technical execution of the attacks; investigators say those technical details point to direct knowledge of the incidents.

The author frames his actions as politically motivated. He writes that electricity generation from fossil fuels is a crime that causes "immeasurable suffering" and accuses the media and the state of inaction, saying he therefore "now had to do it himself." He also mentions the situation in the Middle East, accusing Germany of supporting genocide in Palestine.

Investigators say the letters name several locations in North Rhine-Westphalia where attacks or attempted attacks occurred, including Bergheim-Rheidt, Dormagen, Gohr and Weisweiler, as well as incidents near the large lignite-fired plants Jänschwalde and Schwarze Pumpe in Brandenburg. Authorities are treating the matter as sabotage of critical infrastructure and have mobilised specialised police units.

According to police statements, the two letters are signed with a full name. The suspected author is said to be a German citizen born in 1977 and registered in the town of Gevelsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia. Police carried out a search at the man’s registered address but did not find him, and an active search is ongoing.

Authorities have warned of the seriousness of the incidents and are coordinating investigations across federal states; forensic experts are examining the materials in the letters and the devices found at affected substations. The investigation remains open and police have urged anyone with information to come forward.

Photo: press material from the event