Launch devices found at Dormagen substation amid suspected sabotage

Investigators in Germany say a suspicious device was found next to a power substation in Dormagen, between Cologne and Düsseldorf, feeding concerns of deliberate sabotage of parts of the electricity network.

Devices, a claim letter and wider checks

According to police in Cologne, a passerby discovered the object on Thursday evening, Sept. 3, 2026, lying on the ground near the facility in the Hor district. Authorities have not publicly specified the device’s exact nature but said it could be a "suspicious launching device." The investigation is ongoing.

German media reported that launcher-like constructions for home-made rockets, fitted with timers and copper wiring, were recovered; police declined to confirm those details. Security services have since inspected other substations in surrounding areas for similar items. Apart from the Bergheim substation west of Cologne, officials have not identified any damage so far.

Authorities say cables were placed over the contact network at Bergheim earlier in the week, causing a short circuit; more launching devices were found there later. Several hours before the Dormagen discovery, a related incident was recorded in southern Brandenburg near the Jänschwalde power plant, where improvised devices resembling New Year’s fireworks were used to direct conductive material at high-voltage lines. Operators reported discovering more than ten such devices but said power supply was not interrupted.

Investigators view the events in Bergheim and Jänschwalde as anti-constitutional sabotage and believe the attacks are likely connected, though no suspects have been identified. A letter claiming responsibility was received by a Berlin daily; the postmark indicated it was posted from North Rhine-Westphalia. The author presented themselves as the lone perpetrator and described the homemade rockets in detail, citing "the immeasurable suffering" allegedly caused by the use of fossil fuels. The newspaper reported it could not verify whether the sender was the actual perpetrator.

Brandenburg’s Interior Minister Jan Redman said the incidents demonstrate the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and announced plans to create a new security centre to protect it. "Increasing evidence indicates that the two attacks are part of a coordinated attack on our energy supply," he said.

Separately, a confidential Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) report obtained by German outlets shows authorities have logged more than 165 suspected sabotage cases nationwide through the end of August 2026. The BKA notes activity hotspots this year in Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.

Photo: press material from the event