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Arson attack on high-voltage cables causes widespread power blackout in southwestern Berlin, Germany.
On 3 January 2026, unidentified perpetrators deliberately set fire to high-voltage electricity cables crossing the Teltow Canal near Berlin’s Lichterfelde power station. The attack damaged several power lines, disrupting electricity supplies to approximately 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses across Nikolassee, Wannsee, Zehlendorf and Lichterfelde. Hospitals, care facilities, telecommunications and public transport were also affected, while freezing winter temperatures complicated emergency response operations. The outage lasted several days, with electricity progressively restored by 7 January. The far-left extremist group Vulkangruppe published a statement claiming responsibility and describing the attack as targeting the fossil-fuel economy. On 6 January, Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General opened an investigation into suspected terrorism, arson and unconstitutional sabotage. Although the incident caused extensive disruption to critical infrastructure, no Russian state involvement was established.
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On 3 January 2026, unidentified perpetrators deliberately set fire to high-voltage electricity cables crossing the Teltow Canal near Berlin’s Lichterfelde power station. The attack damaged several power lines, disrupting electricity supplies to approximately 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses across Nikolassee, Wannsee, Zehlendorf and Lichterfelde. Hospitals, care facilities, telecommunications and public transport were also affected, while freezing winter temperatures complicated emergency response operations. The outage lasted several days, with electricity progressively restored by 7 January. The far-left extremist group Vulkangruppe published a statement claiming responsibility and describing the attack as targeting the fossil-fuel economy. On 6 January, Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General opened an investigation into suspected terrorism, arson and unconstitutional sabotage. Although the incident caused extensive disruption to critical infrastructure, no Russian state involvement was established.