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Federal Prosecutors Open Terror Probe After Berlin Blackout Claimed by 'Volcano Group'

Roughly 24,700 households plus 1,120 businesses remain without power pending full restoration targeted for Thursday by grid operator Stromnetz Berlin.

Overview

  • Prosecutors are investigating suspected membership in a terrorist organization along with sabotage, arson and disruption of public services tied to the attack.
  • Attackers used incendiary devices to destroy high‑voltage cables at the Lichterfelde gas‑fired site on January 3, initially cutting power to about 45,000 households.
  • A network calling itself Vulkangruppe, or Volcano Group, claimed responsibility in an online letter framing the operation as a strike on the fossil‑fuel economy, a claim deemed credible by authorities.
  • Berlin’s mayor condemned the perpetrators for endangering civilians, with officials highlighting risks to hospital patients, the elderly, children and families.
  • Emergency support includes military logistics, generators, hotel cost coverage for affected residents, warming shelters and school closures, while investigators focus on domestic left‑wing extremism tracked by the BfV since 2011.