By Smartencyclopedia & Agencies
Mechernich, Germany – A late-night alert rattled 10,000 residents in western Germany on Thursday as fears of possible sabotage forced authorities to issue a stark warning: stop using tap water. The sudden advisory came after a breach was discovered at a water storage site near a key military base, raising alarms in a region already on edge due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The incident unfolded in the Mechernich area, close to Bonn, where authorities found a section of the fence surrounding a water supply facility had been cut. Fearing contamination, officials urged residents to refrain from using tap water for drinking, showering, or cooking. Firefighters were dispatched throughout the area, broadcasting the warning and driving a surge in demand for bottled water.
Although the immediate danger was lifted by Friday morning, with residents being told it was safe to use water again, officials advised boiling it before consumption as a precautionary measure.
The scare comes on the heels of two other troubling incidents in the region, both involving military installations. On Wednesday, an air force base near Cologne-Bonn airport was locked down after “abnormal water values” were detected. This followed a reported attempt to trespass at NATO’s Geilenkirchen base, which houses AWACS reconnaissance planes and lies close to the Dutch border.
The extent of sabotage in any of these cases remains uncertain, but German authorities are treating them with the utmost seriousness. The Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, has been on heightened alert due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, with concerns growing about potential Russian interference on German soil.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser highlighted the increasing threat of sabotage earlier this week, warning that the dangers facing Germany range from espionage to state-sponsored terrorism. She pointed to the Ukrainian military’s use of German-supplied Marder armored vehicles in their advance into Russian-held territories as a potential trigger for retaliatory acts of sabotage.
“Germany is facing an increased danger of Russian sabotage,” Faeser said in an interview with Handelsblatt, noting that the situation could escalate further as the conflict continues.
The Cologne-Wahn airbase, one of the sites affected, plays a critical role in Germany’s military infrastructure. It is home to the top echelons of the German Air Force and serves as a hub for government aircraft used by ministers for international travel. While the base’s outer security remained intact, a hole was discovered near the barracks’ water supply, adding to the growing concerns of coordinated sabotage efforts.
More than 5,000 soldiers and civilians work at the Cologne-Wahn base, which, along with the other affected sites, has been under increased surveillance. Despite the heightened security, no suspects have been detained in connection with any of the three incidents.
These developments come amid broader concerns about the security of Germany’s critical infrastructure. Last month, the domestic intelligence agency (Verfassungsschutz) issued a warning about the rising risk of sabotage, citing reports of a Russian plot to assassinate the CEO of Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest arms manufacturer.
The ongoing war in Ukraine, coupled with Germany’s substantial military support for Kyiv, has put the country in a precarious position. With €28 billion earmarked for aid to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Germany is the second-largest contributor to Ukraine’s defense efforts after the United States.
As investigations continue into the recent incidents, German officials remain vigilant, fully aware that the risks of sabotage and espionage are unlikely to diminish anytime soon.