Berlin police raid suspects after arson attacks cripple city's power grid twice

A shadowy militant group claims responsibility as Berlin reels from coordinated strikes on its power network. Could more blackouts be coming?

, and Administrator

2026 March 24 . 5:01 PM

1 min read

The image shows a black and white photo of a destroyed city street in the middle of a city, with... — The image shows a black and white photo of a destroyed city street in the middle of a city, with buildings on either side and a sky in the background. At the bottom of the image, there are a number of stones scattered across the street, likely from the aftermath of the bombing of Berlin.

Berlin police raid suspects after arson attacks cripple city's power grid twice

Berlin police have launched a major operation following a series of arson attacks on the city's electricity network. The raids, carried out on Tuesday morning, targeted suspects linked to a September 2025 blackout that left tens of thousands without power. Investigators are still examining possible connections to a second, even more disruptive attack in January 2026.

The first incident occurred on September 9, 2025, when two power pylons were set alight. The resulting blackout cut electricity to large parts of the city, including the Adlershof technology park. A far-left group later posted a claim of responsibility on the Indymedia platform.

On January 3, 2026, a second arson attack caused far greater damage. This time, 45,000 households and over 2,200 businesses in southwestern Berlin lost power for four days. A militant group calling itself the 'Volcano Group' claimed responsibility in an online statement. This week's raids involved 500 officers searching 17 locations across Berlin. Authorities focused on four suspects believed to be involved in the September sabotage. While 15 searches were conducted, no arrests have been made so far. Investigators have not confirmed whether the two attacks are connected.

The raids mark the latest step in an ongoing investigation into the power grid attacks. No charges or warrants have been issued yet, and the probe continues. Authorities have not released details on any additional security measures for Berlin's electricity infrastructure.