Potential poisoning and sabotage prompt closures at key German bases
On Wednesday, a decision was made to close two Bundeswehr bases. Police and military counterintelligence services are operating on site. It is suspected that there may have been sabotage on the military premises. The water intended for the soldiers was reportedly poisoned.
Since the onset of Russian aggression in Ukraine, all services across Europe have been operating at a heightened state of alert. As the case in Germany shows, this is not without reason. On Wednesday, 14 August, access to the Bundeswehr barracks in Cologne-Wahn had to be closed for many hours. The command centres, as well as various Bundeswehr departments, are based here. This is where government aircraft that transport VIPs are stationed.
Authorities have launched an investigation on site. There have been reports of water poisoning. Officers also found evidence that someone from outside had entered the unit. A hole was detected in the base's fence, large enough for an adult to pass through.
Services report that the uninvited guest might have carried out sabotage. Tests on the drinking water from the barracks showed abnormal parameters. Immediate action was taken. Soldiers were prohibited from consuming tap water, and the base was temporarily closed to prevent anyone from entering or leaving. Unfortunately, the suspect responsible for the sabotage could not be located despite prompt action.
At the barracks in the Wahn district, 4,300 soldiers and 1,200 civilian employees are stationed. So far, there is no information on whether there are any victims of the water poisoning.
Sabotage not only at the Bundeswehr base; threat detected at NATO base as well
The NATO base in Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia (western Germany), also had to be closed. Here, too, it is unknown who might be behind the sabotage. Investigators are continuously reviewing the surveillance footage to determine this. One priority is to establish whether the person acted alone or as part of a larger group.
NATO had already warned that many countries would be on Russia's list as targets of "sabotage." The United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic have already felt this.
