Overview
- A January 3 fire on a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal cut supply to a peak of about 45,000 customers in southwest Berlin, with roughly 24,700 households still without electricity on Tuesday.
- The case has moved to federal jurisdiction for suspected terrorist offenses including membership in a terrorist organization, constitutional sabotage, arson and disruption of public services, with proceedings currently against unknown persons.
- Officials say the Vulkangruppe claim of responsibility is deemed authentic, and the Interior Ministry reports no evidence of Russian involvement or a false‑flag operation.
- Repairs are slowed by freezing weather and the need to connect different cable technologies; Bundeswehr and THW are supporting fuel, logistics and emergency relief, and the operator aims to restore full service by Thursday.
- The incident has intensified scrutiny of Germany’s critical‑infrastructure framework, prompting calls to restrict public infrastructure data and expand video surveillance, while experts highlight the need for more redundancy and clearer responsibilities.