Overview

• Stromnetz Berlin says crews are splicing damaged lines with large, dust‑free “muff” couplings and expects phased restoration to continue through Thursday evening, with about 20,000 customers still offline Wednesday morning.
• The LKA state security unit is investigating suspected politically motivated arson after a claim on Indymedia signed “Einige Anarchist:innen,” with investigators reporting steel chains and accelerant were used to melt insulation and trigger short circuits.
• Emergency communications remain strained as 110 and 112 are partly unreachable in areas; authorities have staffed 15 notruf points and four disaster‑relief “Leuchttürme,” and police and fire report a quiet night with extra patrols in place.
• Public services are curtailed, with numerous schools in Treptow‑Köpenick closed on Wednesday and tram lines M17 and 63 curtailed, while the S‑Bahn largely runs and the Königsheideweg area stays cordoned off.
• Secondary impacts include thousands of customers without hot water due to an affected heating plant and darkened businesses in the outage zone, as the operator urges those back on the grid to conserve electricity to stabilize supply.