SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
German police probe possible Russian sabotage after army trucks torched
Berlin, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2025
German police said Friday that they had opened a sabotage inquiry after several army trucks were torched, with footage on Russian social media claiming the blaze was started by "our people".

The interior ministry in the eastern state of Thuringia said police were investigating the fires at a depot in the city of Erfurt last weekend.

"We cannot say with certainty who was behind this attack," said regional Interior Minister Georg Maier, but "If it should be confirmed that a foreign power -- Russia for example -- has carried out a targeted act of sabotage, then this is once again an attack on our democracy".

"I condemn in the harshest terms such hostile actions on German soil," he added.

Germany has uncovered numerous cases of suspected espionage and sabotage in the country since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Europe's top economy has been the second-biggest supplier of aid to Ukraine since the invasion began.

Images purporting to show the burning trucks were uploaded on Thursday to a Russian Telegram channel, with a caption saying that "our people" had set them on fire.

According to German media reports the incident happened on the night of June 21 and resulted in four trucks being destroyed, with two more lightly damaged.

The Russian Telegram channel also claimed the trucks were being repaired for the Ukrainian armed forces.

The Thuringia interior ministry said police were "aware" of the images and were investigating their "origin and authenticity".

A spokesman for the defence ministry refused to confirm this at a press conference on Friday, saying the trucks belonged to "logistics troops in the region".

Thuringia's interior ministry said the investigation involved exchanging information with security authorities in other parts of Germany, "in particular with regard to similar incidents elsewhere in the country".

A year ago several military vehicles were set on fire at the same site in Erfurt, and two weeks ago six such vehicles were burned in the western town of Soltau.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Bearings Used in Space Technologies: Engineering for the Final Frontier
Orbex advances as UK contender in ESA launcher competition
K2 Space validates satellite systems in orbit and fires record-breaking thruster

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Ultrasound triggers nuclear decay anomaly hinting at flexible space-time
AI system accelerates aircraft concept design using language models
Autonomous sub explores unexplored trench depths to reveal critical mineral clues

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
PLD Space selected as leading contender for ESA sovereign launch initiative
UK opens competitive bid for GBP 75 million orbital cleanup mission
Boeing wins major contract to deliver new generation strategic comms satellites

24/7 News Coverage
UK thermal satellite firm wins ESA contract to deliver real time climate and security insights
Glacier retreat could drive a surge in volcanic eruptions worldwide
Beyond male dominance in primates new study redefines gender power roles



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.