Attack in Germany: A left-wing terrorist group left part of Berlin without power

An extreme left-wing terrorist group carried out an arson attack last Saturday in the southwest of Berlin, which caused a large-scale power outage that affected tens of thousands of people and businesses.

According to local authorities, the fire damaged high-voltage power lines and left about 45,000 households and around 2,200 businesses in at least four districts in the southwest of Berlin without electricity.

The power outage affected not only the energy supply, but also related services such as Internet and heating, in the middle of winter, with freezing temperatures and snowfall that complicate repair work.

According to official information, the fire broke out on Saturday morning on a suspension bridge located over the Teltow Canal, near the Lichterfelde power plant. On Sunday, the authorities indicated that the episode was the consequence of an attack with political motivations carried out by terrorists from “extreme left-wing”, which raised the alert level of security agencies.

Although the power supply was restored on Sunday morning in some areas, thousands of people remained without electricity at the beginning of the week. The authorities estimated that around 35,000 residents could remain without electricity until Thursday, due to the complexity of the repair work and the adverse weather conditions that slow down technical tasks.

Meanwhile, as the police move forward with the investigation, numerous households in the southwest of the city remain affected by the lack of power. In view of this situation, an initial emergency shelter was opened for those affected. In addition, a municipal care center began operating in a sports complex located on Hüttenweg, in the district of Zehlendorf, according to a fire department spokesperson.

Volcano Group

In parallel, the security authorities reported that they are working to confirm the authenticity of a letter claiming responsibility for the attack. The document attributes the attack to the extreme left-wing anarchist group called “Volcano Group”.

In the letter, the terrorist organization provided details about how it started the fire, and the attack was reportedly driven by motivations related to "climate change". 

German security authorities indicated that they have had information about the "Volcano Group" for several years. According to intelligence services, the organization was founded in 2011. The Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution has dealt with this group on various occasions, including interventions and monitoring recorded in 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019, and 2024.