German police launched investigations into two sabotage attacks on electricity substations within 24 hours this week—one in Brandenburg state near Berlin and another in Bergheim west of Cologne—renewing fears that Russia is targeting critical infrastructure through a hybrid warfare campaign.

The back-to-back incidents on September 2 and 3 came one day after Berlin formally accused Moscow of orchestrating an explosive drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August and announced it would close the Russian consulate in Bonn on September 18 in retaliation.

Climate Activist Emerges as Lead Suspect

German authorities said Friday they believe a militant climate activist was behind the power grid sabotage spree and are hunting for a 48-year-old suspect, according to the Irish broadcaster RTE. Interior ministry officials said the individual is linked to far-left groups that have previously targeted energy infrastructure to protest fossil fuel use and military operations.

The climate activist theory competes with initial suspicions that Russian intelligence directed the attacks as part of a coordinated effort to destabilize German infrastructure. Daily Mail published photos of police securing the Bergheim substation site, where investigators found evidence of deliberate cable cutting designed to disrupt the regional grid.

Third Major Incident in Five Days

The power grid sabotage follows Germany's formal attribution of the Leipzig airport drone attack to Russia. CNN reported that German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Tuesday the country had concluded Russia was responsible for the August 4 incident in which an explosive-laden drone targeted a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane on the tarmac.

That attack led Berlin to order a series of countermeasures including shuttering the Bonn consulate, expelling diplomatic staff, and tightening security protocols at airports and critical infrastructure sites across the country.

Hybrid Warfare Concerns Escalate

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has warned that Russia is increasing hybrid attacks on Germany through drones, infrastructure sabotage, and disinformation campaigns. DW News reported that recent incidents also include suspected Russian involvement in severing two undersea communication cables in the Baltic Sea, intensifying fears that Moscow is testing Berlin's defenses ahead of potential escalation.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would hit back at Russia after the Leipzig drone attack, but the bloc has struggled to develop a unified response framework for hybrid threats that fall short of armed conflict yet inflict real damage on member states.

Germany is planning a broad package of measures to strengthen defenses against drone attacks, cyber intrusions, and other forms of sabotage, Reuters reported. The initiative follows an alleged arson attack at a German defense manufacturer that occurred the same day as the power grid incidents, suggesting coordinated efforts to disrupt military production and energy supplies simultaneously.

Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the climate activist suspect was recruited or manipulated by foreign intelligence services seeking to exploit domestic protest movements for strategic sabotage operations. German police said the investigation remains active and they are pursuing multiple leads.