Hamburg workers accused of tampering with military vessels

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of attempting to sabotage German naval vessels at a dock in the northern port city of Hamburg last year, prosecutors confirmed, BILD reports.

A 37-year-old Romanian and a 54-year-old Greek were taken into custody in Hamburg and a village in Greece, respectively, “on suspicion of attempted sabotage of a defence vessel,” according to a statement from the prosecutors.

The suspects are accused of deliberately compromising the vessels by pouring over 20 kilograms (approximately 40 pounds) of grit into a ship’s engine block, puncturing water supply lines, removing fuel tank caps, and deactivating electronic safety switches.

“Had the acts of sabotage gone undetected, they would have led to significant damage to the ships or, at the very least, delayed their departure, thereby potentially endangering the security of the Federal Republic of Germany and troops’ operational effectiveness,” prosecutors said.

Authorities emphasized that investigations into the motives and possible organizers behind the alleged sabotage are ongoing.

The arrests come amid heightened vigilance among Germany and other NATO members across Europe over suspected Russian espionage, drone surveillance, and sabotage threats.

By Vafa Guliyeva