Vulkangruppe claims responsibility for Berlin power outage

Following a fire that has caused a massive power outage in Berlin, police have now released further details about a statement of claim. According to the statement, it comes from the far-left extremist "Vulkangruppe," which has appeared before. Authorities consider the statement to be authentic.

Tens of thousands of households have been without power since Saturday after a fire damaged a cable bridge near the Lichterfelde power plant. A total of five high-voltage and ten medium-voltage cables were destroyed or damaged "by several incendiary devices," said Berlin's Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD).

Wegner: It was "obviously far-left extremists"

According to their own statements, police are investigating on suspicion of arson; the state security service responsible for political offenses has a statement of claim. This comes from the Vulkangruppe and has now been classified as credible, a police spokesperson said at a press conference on Sunday. Further investigations into the motive are ongoing.

The perpetrators were "obviously far-left extremists," said Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner (SPD). "It is unacceptable that, once again, obviously far-left extremists are attacking our power grid and thus endangering lives," Wegner emphasized. Interior Senator Iris Spanger (SPD) called the incident a "misogynistic attack on Berliners that recklessly endangers lives."

Claimants are not unknown

The "Vulkangruppe" has already been involved in similar acts in recent years. In March 2024, an attack on the power supply occurred near the factory. Due to a power outage caused by a burning power pole, car production at Tesla was halted for almost a week. The "Vulkangruppe" claimed responsibility for the attack. In a cable fire in Berlin in March 2018, communication networks were interrupted in addition to the power supply for around 6,500 households in the Charlottenburg district; the group also claimed responsibility here.

As early as September 2025, there was a major power outage in Berlin due to an arson attack. The fire destroyed several thick high-voltage lines at the base of two power poles in Berlin-Johannisthal in the Treptow-Köpenick district. Here too, there is suspicion that the perpetrators belong to the Vulkangruppe, although this has not been definitively clarified.

(nen)