Germany probes possible political motive as train cables cut in western region amid Russia-sabotage fears

BERLIN — German police said Monday they are probing a possible political motive after cables between Cologne and Dusseldorf were cut, with the country on high alert for sabotage tied to Russia.

Police said they discovered at around 01:15 a.m. that several cables had been cut in a cable shaft in the Rheindorf area of Leverkusen, in western Germany, causing disruption to regional rail services. 'We discovered at around 01:15 a.m. that several cables had been cut in a cable shaft in the Rheindorf area of Leverkusen,' a Cologne police spokesman said. 'A political motive cannot be excluded at this time,' the police added.

The incident occurred in a densely populated western Germany area and disrupted commuters on Monday morning. Officers specialized in politically motivated crime are investigating and preliminary leads have been identified, police said.

The broader security context has intensified concern about Russian-linked disruption. The National Cyber Security Centre – the public-facing arm of GCHQ – launched an investigation last night as experts warned that the attack pattern bears hallmarks of Russian operations. Analysts noted a cluster of recent events across Europe, including Russian actions near NATO airspace and cyber intrusions affecting major hubs.

One former British military intelligence officer said the Heathrow cyberattack and related disruptions in Brussels, Berlin and elsewhere carried all the hallmarks of Russian involvement. While official attribution remains ongoing, the string of incidents has fed concerns about hybrid warfare in Europe.

Earlier this month, tens of thousands of people were left without power in Berlin after a fire hit electricity cables in a suspected arson attack, with police saying they were examining possible political motives after an unnamed anarchist group posted online that it had set the blaze.

Last month, three fires hit parts of the German rail network, with a far-left group calling itself the Angry Birds Kommando claiming responsibility for at least one of them.

Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of aid to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and has accused Moscow of increasing efforts at 'hybrid warfare.'

Last week a report co-authored by the domestic intelligence agency found that the costs to German businesses from cyberattacks and sabotage, mainly from Russia and China, topped 289 billion euros ($342 billion) over the past 12 months.

German authorities recently launched a campaign warning against Russian efforts to recruit 'disposable agents' via social media to carry out acts of espionage and sabotage.