Explosives found near NATO pipeline in Germany
Construction workers in Germany have found explosives in the ground while working close to a NATO pipeline. So reports the
Süddeutsche Zeitung. It is not clear who placed those explosives there, but intelligence sources have long indicated that Russia is willing to sabotage such infrastructure of Ukraine's allies. The explosives were found in Bellheim, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, between Mainz and Stuttgart. Underneath that place runs a pipeline through which kerosene flows. That pipeline is part of a network of NATO pipelines used to fuel air bases. The pipelines in the Netherlands, which include Schiphol Airport, are also part of this NATO network.
According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, construction workers made the discovery last November in the forest near Bellheim. While renovating a high-voltage pylon, they came across several hundred grams of explosives with detonators and two hand grenades. The items were buried half a meter underground, a few hundred meters away from the pipeline, neatly wrapped in plastic wrap. The newspaper writes that the find alerted the German security service. Explosives have been found before, hidden in the ground by the left-wing extremist terrorist movement Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF) in the last century.
But the find in Bellheim late last year cannot possibly be from the years when the RAF was active, according to security officials. It is estimated that the stored explosives in Bellheim were placed there only 12 to 18 months ago. By whom is not clear. The German prosecutor's office tells the newspaper that investigations have not led to a suspect. However, security services have long pointed out that Russia does not shy away from attacks with such explosives and other acts of sabotage. Incidents around facilities that can be attributed to Germany's so-called critical infrastructure are on the rise.
Intelligence increasingly suspects a link to Russia in these incidents because of the war in Ukraine. Germany is an important ally of Ukraine by supplying weapons and tanks. The risk of Russia wanting to strike back is increasing, security officials warn. “We must assume that in the coming weeks and months Moscow will use the full range of hybrid warfare against us, including acts of sabotage,” a German intelligence officer told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The war in Ukraine “has long since arrived here.”
Just recently, two suspected Russian spies were arrested in Bavaria for allegedly spying on a NATO military training ground where Ukrainian soldiers were being trained. Dutch security services have also been warning about Russia for some time. The Netherlands is an attractive target for cyberattacks, for example, because it is home to many international organizations, such as the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
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