Left-wing extremist group claims responsibility for arson attack on Berlin power grid
The Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group), a left-wing extremist organisation, has claimed responsibility for an arson attack on Berlin's power grid. The attack involved a fire near the Lichterfelde heat and power station that damaged high-voltage cables, resulting in widespread power outages.
According to Stromnetz Berlin, up to 35,000 homes and 1,900 businesses could be without electricity and heat until January 8. Initially, the company reported that 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses were affected across the districts of Nikolassee, Zehlendorf, Wannsee, and Lichterfelde. By Sunday midday, power had been restored to about 10,000 households and 300 businesses in Lichterfelde.
The Vulkangruppe published a 2,500-word pamphlet claiming the attack as an act of public-interest self-defence, aiming to "cut the juice to the ruling class." The group criticized the use of fossil-fuel energy and AI data centres in their statement.
Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner, described the blackout as apparently politically motivated. Security experts noted that the attack bore the hallmarks of previous far-left militant actions. Investigators have opened a probe into the incident near the Lichterfelde site.
The outage disrupted mobile networks, prompting police to use loudspeakers to assist vulnerable residents. Several regional commuter lines were interrupted, and there is potential for school holidays to be extended for some students.
This incident follows a September arson attack attributed to the Vulkangruppe that previously knocked out power in parts of the city. Additionally, a March 2024 attack on a Tesla gigafactory pylon has been linked to the group. Germany’s 2024 domestic security report identifies the Vulkangruppe as a left-wing extremist organisation.
