By Diana Resnik
Published on
The number of suspected sabotage incidents impacting the German navy is mounting.
Since the beginning of 2025, a total of ten possible acts of sabotage have been uncovered, according to CORRECTIV. The question is, who is behind them?
Most recently, at the end of February 2026, a two-centimetre-wide slit was reportedly discovered by chance in the fuel line of the frigate “Rheinland-Pfalz” in Wilhelmshaven.
The Bundeswehr assumes the damage was deliberate, CORRECTIV reported.
“In principle, we can confirm that the threat situation for seagoing units in shipyards, as well as naval vessels under construction, has changed as a result of several suspected cases of sabotage,” a Bundeswehr spokesperson said.
The case was reported to the investigative authorities in March, but the investigation was later dropped, according to the public prosecutor’s office in Oldenburg.
It was not possible to determine whether the cause was intentional damage, wear and tear or a material defect.
Other potential sabotage cases
Another case of suspected sabotage occurred during an inspection at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in the port of Hamburg in January 2025.
On the warship “Emden”, several kilograms of material were found in the engine room that could have caused considerable damage – a kind of grit sand used to clean ship surfaces, Tagesschau reported.
Hamburg’s criminal investigation department and the public prosecutor’s office stated that it was presumably sabotage. A 37-year-old Romanian and a 54-year-old Greek, who are believed to have worked in the port of Hamburg, were arrested in relation to the incident. The prosecution did not name any possible instigators.
There had already been several suspected sabotage cases in the previous year: on one navy warship, cable looms were cut through. In another case, used oil was apparently deliberately poured into a ship’s drinking water system. In both cases, the public prosecutor’s office discontinued the proceedings.
According to Western security circles, Russia could be behind the sabotage. Security services see Germany as one of the main targets for Russian attacks, as Germany is one of the most important supporters of Ukraine in repelling Russia’s war of aggression.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) are therefore warning of so-called “Wegwerf-Agenten”.
These are petty criminals mostly recruited via social media networks and incited to carry out acts of sabotage. They are often paid by their handlers in cryptocurrencies.
The fee: several hundred euros. For larger jobs involving the sabotage of military equipment belonging to NATO members, sums running into tens of thousands of euros are thought to be offered.