Suspicion of sabotage at two Bundeswehr locations: The air force base in Cologne-Wahn has been temporarily closed. A suspect was spotted in Geilenkirchen. Politicians from the FDP and the Greens are speculating about Moscow’s involvement. Defense Minister Pistorius is calling for vigilance.
Due to suspicion of sabotage, the German army sealed off two of its locations on Wednesday – first the Cologne-Wahn air base, then the NATO base in Geilenkirchen.
In Cologne, there was a suspicion of manipulation of the internal drinking water system, the German army announced. According to a spokesman, “abnormal values” were found during the ongoing drinking water testing on Wednesday night. In addition, a hole was noticed in a fence “through which a person could fit”.
The water was then turned off and the barracks cordoned off. The search for an intruder was unsuccessful. After a few hours, the cordons were lifted. There are no known cases of illness due to possible contamination of the drinking water. Samples of the water are now being further examined. Soldiers will initially be supplied with water via canisters.
As the spokesman went on to say, the hole was only found in the fence that led directly to the barracks’ own waterworks. There was no damage to the outer fence that surrounds the entire base. The authorities assume that there was one or more perpetrators and announced that they would be evaluating video recordings.
Suspect spotted at location in Geilenkirchen
There was also an incident at the NATO base in Geilenkirchen. AWACS reconnaissance aircraft are also stationed there. However, reports that the military airfield was cordoned off have been refuted.
A NATO spokesman said that a man had tried in vain to enter the site on Tuesday evening, but was prevented from entering. The base was then routinely searched and the police had launched an investigation. The NATO base is still operating “at full capacity”.
Independently of this incident, NATO ordered a test of the drinking water at the base on Wednesday morning, the spokesman said. This was purely a safety measure according to reports from Cologne. There are no indications of problems with the water quality in Geilenkirchen.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense did not want to comment on possible “injury to people.” The Bundeswehr Territorial Command issued a statement on the incident in Cologne: “We wish Bundeswehr members who may have been injured in connection with the incident a speedy and full recovery.” The investigation authorities are working “very closely and trustingly” to clarify the matter.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius calls for vigilance
After the sabotage alarm in the Cologne-Wahn air force barracks and suspicious observations on the outskirts of the NATO airfield in Geilenkirchen, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) advises continued vigilance. “We reacted quickly at both locations, blocked access, tightened controls, called in investigative authorities and arranged for laboratory tests.
The incidents show that we must remain vigilant,” Pistorius told “Spiegel” on Wednesday evening. “Of course, we will review our security plans after these incidents and adapt them if necessary. This has already been ordered.”
There is currently no concrete evidence of a connection between the two events in Cologne-Wahn and Geilenkirchen. “Now we must wait for further investigation results and act prudently. We are relying on the proven cooperation with the responsible investigative authorities,” said Pistorius.
Defense politicians suspect Russia
The chairman of the Bundestag’s Defense Committee, Marcus Faber (FDP), suspects Russia of being behind the acts of sabotage. “Due to the proximity in time of the incidents in the two barracks, one can assume that a hostile actor wants to demonstrate its sabotage capabilities here,” Faber told Bild on Wednesday. “The actor who has the greatest interest in this is Putin,” he added, referring to the Russian president.
The chairman of the Bundestag’s Parliamentary Control Committee, Konstantin von Notz (Greens), made similar comments. “There is of course suspicion that this could be a Russian act of sabotage,” he told the news channel WELT TV. This is a “concrete working hypothesis” for the investigation.
First, we must wait for the results of the investigation, said von Notz. “Nobody should doubt today that something like this is possible and that Russia has the ruthlessness to carry out such actions.”
The barracks in Cologne were not allowed to be entered or left for several hours. The police cordoned off a large area. Several departments are housed in the barracks. The Bundeswehr’s air force – responsible for travel by cabinet members and senior government officials – is also based there. Higher command authorities and a total of around 4,300 soldiers and 1,200 civilian employees are also stationed there.
dpa/AFP/säd/ll/sebe
