Summary
An attack on power cables in Berlin on Saturday left approximately 35,000 households and over 2,200 businesses without electricity. The alleged left-wing extremist Group Vulkan has published a claim of responsibility that is being reviewed by police and the intelligence service. Hendrik Hansen, extremism researcher at the Federal University for Public Administration, contextualizes the act within Germany's left-wing extremism scene while simultaneously pointing out significant deficiencies in the resilience of critical infrastructure. The investigations must also consider possible Russian interference without jumping to premature conclusions.
Persons
- Hendrik Hansen – Political scientist and extremism researcher
- Simon Holiger – SRF Tagesgespräch moderator
- Roderich Kiesewetter – CDU member of parliament, Russia expert
- Alexander Dobrindt – Interior Minister of Germany
Topics
- Left-wing extremist attacks on infrastructure
- Group Vulkan and its motivation
- Resilience of critical infrastructure
- Possible Russian sabotage
- German extremism scene
- Intelligence service and resource allocation
Detailed Summary
The Attack and Current Situation
On Saturday, an attack was carried out on a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal in Berlin. Initially, 45,000 households and over 2,200 businesses were affected; currently, approximately 35,000 households are still without power. Since modern heating systems are electronically controlled, gas heating systems also fail, which at temperatures around minus five degrees represents an extreme challenge. The repairs have already taken six days, while Ukraine typically restores similar outages within 24 hours – a sign of deficiencies in German infrastructure resilience.
Group Vulkan: Identity and Motivation
The alleged perpetrator is Group Vulkan. Concrete details are limited: security authorities do not even know whether it is one or multiple organized groups. The name derives from the Icelandic volcano eruption in 2010 that paralyzed European air traffic. The group sees its attacks as an attempt to disrupt life in industrialized society just as this volcano did.
Previous attacks by Group Vulkan include:
- 2018: Attack on the Merch Bridge in Berlin-Charlottenburg, affecting several thousand households
- March 2024: Attack on the Tesla plant in Grünheide, Brandenburg
- Various attacks since 2011
According to Hansen, the claim of responsibility letters are linguistically awkward and sometimes confusingly formulated – a phenomenon that is common among left-wing extremist manifestos.
Possible Russian Interference
An important but still unresolved aspect: Could Russia be behind the attack? Some observers point to conspicuous details – such as the spelling of US Vice President Vance as "VANS," which appears Cyrillic. However, Hansen warns against premature speculation: investigators must examine this possibility, but public debate should remain cautious. To date, there is no evidence of Russian involvement.
The German Left-Wing Extremism Scene
The intelligence service counts approximately 30,000 persons in the left-wing extremist scene, of which around 10,000 belong to the violence-oriented spectrum. The actual number of those who carry out attacks is significantly smaller. Various groups are active:
- Climate movement & anarchists: Attacks on power supply, railway lines
- North Rhine-Westphalia: Arson attacks on railway line Düsseldorf–Duisburg (July/August 2024)
- Munich: ~50 arson attacks between 2019–2025
- Antifa-Ost ("Hammer gang"): Brutally trained attacks on right-wing extremists; meanwhile mostly incarcerated
- Anti-Israeli activists: Partial cooperation with Islamists, especially in Berlin
Definition: When Does It Become Left-Wing Extremism?
Hansen explains: Left-wing extremism begins where human dignity or the principle of democracy are fundamentally questioned – such as through rejection of the rule of law. An example: The sentence "System Change, not Climate Change" is harmless in the democratic spectrum but becomes left-wing extremist when understood to mean revolution (Marxist or anarchist).
Professionalization and Prosecution
Noteworthy: To date, no one from Group Vulkan has been arrested. Hansen explains this with:
- Conspiratorial approach: Groups use online-available instructions for committing crimes without leaving traces
- Infrastructure know-how: Perpetrators know the routes of power cables and their plans (partially public)
- Trained operations: Similar to Antifa-Ost, these groups train their attacks to cause maximum damage with minimal traces
Core Statements
The power outage is a consequence of an attack on critical infrastructure, not technical deficiencies alone – but German infrastructure resilience is significantly worse than in Ukraine, where similar outages are repaired within 24 hours.
Group Vulkan is real and has demonstrably carried out multiple attacks, but operates so professionally that no arrests have been made so far.
Russian interference must be investigated but not hastily asserted in public debate – speculation leads to absurd conspiracy theories.
The German left-wing extremism scene encompasses 10,000 violence-oriented persons, but actual perpetrators are a small subgroup with a specific focus on climate policy and infrastructure.
Resource allocation in the intelligence service is uneven: Political signals have long prioritized right-wing extremism, which is why left-wing extremism surveillance may be understaffed.
Societal resilience is not shown only in technical infrastructure but in willingness to help and cohesion – both are currently evident in Berlin.
Stakeholders & Affected Parties
| Affected | Beneficiaries | Losers |
|---|---|---|
| 35,000 households, over 2,200 businesses (directly without power) | Security authorities (stronger pressure for resources) | Low-income population (despite attack on wealthy neighborhood, also affected in Wedding) |
| Sick, elderly, households with small children (heating failure) | Infrastructure research (attention for resilience) | Regular leftists (by association with extremism) |
| Neighboring districts with power (unequal supply) | Media, political debates | Trust in state security |
Opportunities & Risks
| Opportunities | Risks |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure redesign: Occasion to improve power distribution and redundancy | Further attacks: Group has demonstrated capability and motivation |
| Increased intelligence service resources: Interior Minister Dobrindt signals more personnel for left-wing extremism monitoring | Incorrect security measures: Overreactions based on unconfirmed Russia theories |
| Social cohesion: Willingness to help in Berlin could strengthen solidarity | Political instrumentalization: Extremism debate is distorted in campaign rhetoric (e.g., against AfD) |
| 360-degree extremism view: Left-wing extremism finally receives attention alongside right-wing extremism | Resource reallocation: Enhanced left-wing extremism surveillance could weaken right-wing extremism focus |
| Climate movement under suspicion: Legitimate climate activists are equated with terrorists |
Action Relevance
For security authorities:
- Investigations must consider Russian sabotage hypothesis but not speculate publicly
- Carefully examine suspicion of "false flag" operations
- Increase resources for left-wing extremist scene surveillance (not just Group Vulkan)
- More intensively monitor retreats of left-wing extremist groups
For political decision-makers:
- Massively expand critical infrastructure resilience: Redundant power supply, faster repair capacity, decentralization
- 360-degree extremism view: Signal that all forms of extremism are taken seriously (not just currently dominant ones)
- Exercise caution against polarizing rhetoric that instrumentalizes extremism debates for campaigns
- Prioritize investments in infrastructure security
For civil society:
- Legitimate climate activists clearly distance themselves from extremist methods
- Continue neighborhood mutual aid in crisis situations
- Remain critical of conspiracy theories (e.g., "AfD works with Russia")
Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking
- [x] Central statements verified: Attack details, affected numbers, investigation status based on transcript
- [x] Unconfirmed speculation marked: Russian sabotage, automatic translation – explicitly presented as uncertain
- [x] Left-wing extremism statistics verified: 30,000 persons total, ~10,000 violence-oriented (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution)
- [x] Bias check: Hansen himself warns against over-interpretation and one-sided view; transcript shows differentiated position
⚠️ Limitations:
- Comparison Ukraine vs. Germany (24 hours vs. 6 days repair) is based on Hansen's statement, not verified statistics
- Exact victim numbers from 2024 Tesla attack not mentioned in transcript
- Details on "Kommando Angry Birds" and Munich arson attacks briefly summarized
Additional Research
Statistics & Official Data:
- Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution: Annual reports on extremism in Germany (2024–2025)
- Federal Network Agency: Power outage statistics and resilience standards
- Ukraine Ministry of Energy: Repair times after sabotage (comparison with Germany)
Industry Reports:
- Federal Government security report on critical infrastructure
- Research papers on left-wing extremist networks (Hans-Gerd Jaschke, Police University)
- Report by the German Institute for Human Rights on extremism and security
Contrasting Perspectives:
- Climate activist positions (e.g., Fridays for Future): Distancing from extremist methods
- Russian sabotage expertise: Works by Constanze Stelzenmüller (Brookings Institution) on Russian operations in Germany
- AfD positions on left-wing extremism (critical analysis of rhetoric)
References
Primary Source:
SRF Tagesgespräch with Hendrik Hansen – "Power Outage in Berlin"