German Navy Confirms Sabotage Attempts On Warships And Naval Bases

The German navy has confirmed a series of sabotage attempts on its warships, with multiple vessels targeted in recent years, along with security breaches at naval bases.

Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack recently stated that more than one warship had been affected, although he did not provide specific numbers or details.

He also revealed that German naval bases have experienced repeated attempts to breach security perimeters from both land and water. Uniformed Navy personnel have also been approached publicly while travelling to and from their homes.

One of the most alarming cases of suspected sabotage involved the newly built corvette Emden, which was found to have dozens of kilograms of metal shavings in its gearbox at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg.

If undetected, this could have caused severe damage to the propulsion system. The discovery led to the cancellation of the warship’s maiden voyage earlier this year. Per reports, the authorities in Hamburg are investigating the matter. Officials have declined to comment on any specific details.

This was followed by another incident in 2024 when a German Navy minehunter stationed at a shipyard in Rostock was intentionally damaged. Several cable harnesses were severed, which led to an investigation into possible sabotage.

The Rostock prosecutor’s office confirmed that they are looking into the matter. Three German-Russian dual nationals were arrested in early 2024 for planning attacks on military and industrial targets, including the U.S. military base at Grafenwohr.

The main suspect was reportedly plotting arson and explosive attacks across the country, targeting rail lines and a manufacturing plant. There are concerns that there is a foreign involvement in these acts.

Vice Admiral Kaack highlighted the increasing security threat at the start of 2025, stating that the situation has worsened compared to previous years. He warned that these incidents could be aimed to destabilise NATO forces.

However, he stopped short of directly blaming any country, including Russia, for the sabotage attempts.

The German authorities are also investigating whether recent underwater infrastructure damage in the Baltic Sea could be linked to foreign interference.

NATO officials suspect that a series of four consecutive subsea cable damages might have been deliberate acts of sabotage. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this.

There are also reports of drone activity over German airbases, indicating surveillance efforts that may be underway to gather information on military operations.

Some analysts believe this could be preparation for more coordinated attacks in the future.

Reference: Newsweek, Baird Maritime

Source: Maritime Shipping News