Arson attack on German military cars leads investigators into Russian Z-blogging community

Vehicles belonging to the German Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) have repeatedly been set on fire in recent times. So far, it remains unclear who is behind the attacks but investigators are now following a new lead which leads them deep into Russia's pro-war community that enjoys massive followings on the Telegram messaging app. 

Following the arson attack on Bundeswehr trucks in Erfurt in the late hours of June 21, prosecutors have now confirmed that they are investigating possible links to Russia. This comes after a video surfaced on a Russian Telegram channel, which appears to show the beginning of the attack. “An investigation is underway into who may have posted the video,” German media outlets have quoted a spokesperson for the Erfurt public prosecutor’s office.

Six Bundeswehr trucks parked at a repair yard for the giant MAN Truck & Bus commercial automotive manufacturer in Erfurt were set ablaze last week, as reported by German media.

The Russian military blog "Повёрнутые на войне", which translates as "Obsessed with War" published photos on June 26 showing the trucks both intact and later damaged, along with a video of the fire. Such content creators are known in russian-speaking circles as "Z-bloggers" because of their support for Russia's military assault on Ukraine that has been symbolised by Russian military leaders by the letter Z.

The video includes a Russian-language message: “In Erfurt, Germany, various military equipment is brought in for repairs for the Ukrainian armed forces. Our people decided this was unnecessary — the Ukrainian troops didn’t need this gear. So they simply burned it.”

However, as German media have reported, Germany’s Ministry of Defense stated that the vehicles were not intended for Ukraine. “These are the tools of our own forces,” said a ministry spokesperson in Berlin.

Thuringia’s state criminal police are currently verifying the authenticity and origin of the video, according to a spokesperson. Authorities are also exchanging information nationwide regarding similar incidents. No further details on the ongoing investigation have been disclosed.

The Russian edition of the Deutsche Welle recalls, that a similar incident occurred back in July 2024, when unknown individuals also set fire to six military trucks from the company MAN — three of them belonged to the Bundeswehr, while the other three had arrived from Singapore and were undergoing routine maintenance.

By Nazrin Sadigova