German left-wing extremists protesting over the climate crisis and AI have claimed responsibility for an arson attack that knocked out power to thousands of homes in Berlin.
Grid company Stromnetz Berlin said 35,000 homes and 1,900 businesses could be deprived of power – and in many cases heat – until January 8 after a fire that broke out early Saturday on a bridge over the Teltow canal southwest of the capital.
As state security officials began investigating the cause of a fire near the Lichterfelde Heat and Power Station that damaged several high-voltage cables, Vulkangroup (Volcano Group) said it had deliberately targeted some of the wealthiest districts of the city.
In a 2,500-word pamphlet seen by the Guardian, which a police spokesman described as “credible”, the group said its aim was to “damage the ruling class”.
It condemned the “greed for energy” generated by high-emission fossil fuels, calling the attack an “action in the public interest” and “an act of self-defense and international solidarity with all those who defend the Earth and life.”
In the message, which included details about the fire, VulcanGroup said that datacenters used for AI were exacerbating the problem of climate-damaging energy consumption while posing a threat to society.
The group said, “We are contributing to our surveillance and it is widespread. Tech corporations are in the hands of those who have the power that we give them.” “One day we will simply sit in front of glowing screens or dead machines, dying of thirst and hunger.”
The group said it wanted to apologize to less well-off people affected by the power cuts, but said its sympathy was limited to the “many villa owners” who are now in the dark.
The area affected by the power cuts includes several elderly care homes and hospitals as well as high-rise buildings, where residents depend on lifts which are now out of order. Berlin received moderate snowfall over the weekend and night temperatures dropped well below zero.
Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner, said he was convinced the mass blackout had a political motive, while security experts said it had a political motive. Hallmarks of previous far-left attacks,
“It is unacceptable that left-wing extremists are once again openly attacking our electricity grid and thus endangering human lives,” Wegener told reporters during a visit to an emergency shelter for people deprived of heat and hot water.
Due to mobile networks being down, police used loudspeakers attached to their vehicles to inform the public as they were assisting people in need of care. Many regional commuter lines were disrupted and many students who were scheduled to return to school on Monday may have their vacations extended for a week.
A previous arson attack by the far left in September had caused power outages for 60 hours in the south-east of the city, reportedly an area of Berlin. Longest power cut since World War II,
Initial theories about the weekend power cuts included possible Russian sabotage, as Germany is on high alert for attacks on its infrastructure by foreign actors.
In March 2024, Vulkangruppe claimed an arson attack against a pylon at the Tesla Gigafactory outside Berlin, which cut off power to the plant and temporarily halted production.
In its 2024 annual security report, Germany’s domestic intelligence watchdog cited repeated attacks on regional power grids by Vulkangroup, which it classifies as a left-wing extremist organization.
It said the group, believed to be around 14 years old, chose targets for “obvious impact on the population”, intending to cause destruction that would require laborious and lengthy repairs with little concern for collateral damage.
Stromnetz Berlin said the power outages, which began around 6 a.m. Saturday, initially affected 45,000 homes and 2,200 businesses in the districts of Nicolausi, Zehlendorf, Wannsee and Lichterfelde.
By Sunday afternoon, the company said on its crisis page on its website that power had been restored to about 10,000 homes and 300 businesses in Lichterfelde.
But cold weather was hampering efforts to lay new underground cables, meaning remaining homes may have to wait until Thursday afternoon to get their lights and heat back.
“Our teams are on the ground and we are working tirelessly to restore supplies,” Stromnetz Berlin said.
Experts said the dramatic impact of attacks on energy infrastructure requires less expert knowledge, with maps containing key components of the power grid widely available online and few contingency plans ready to be implemented in the event of sabotage.
