German army mobilized to restore power after Berlin cable sabotage

The German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, are assisting Berlin authorities in refueling emergency power generators as thousands of homes remained without electricity on January 5, following the weekend sabotage of cables.

The Operational Command confirmed that the Bundeswehr received a request for support from the state of Berlin during the day, with the operation beginning in the evening at a Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) depot in the affected southwest of the capital, Caliber.Az reports, citing German media. 

Left-wing extremists claimed responsibility for the incendiary attack on a cable bridge over a canal early on January 3. The request for military assistance included the provision of approximately 18,000 litres of diesel, delivered via a tanker truck. Operating crews have been placed on “shift-ready” status to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of critical services.

“There is a particular focus on supplying care facilities,” a spokeswoman for the Operational Command said. The army’s support operation is provisionally scheduled to continue until 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) on January 8.

The sabotage initially affected around 45,000 households and more than 2,200 businesses. Stromnetz Berlin, the city’s power operator, has since restored electricity to over 17,000 customers and is working to repair the high-voltage lines as swiftly as possible. Full restoration of the network is expected by January 8.

By Vafa Guliyeva