German police have launched an investigation after explosive devices were discovered at an electrical substation in Turnow-Preilack near the Jänschwalde power plant on Tuesday.
The discovery followed reported damage to a high-voltage power transmission line earlier on Tuesday morning, according to German news agency dpa and national newspaper Die Welt.
Explosive ordnance disposal specialists were immediately deployed to the site in the eastern state of Brandenburg, located roughly 100 kilometres south-east of Berlin.
A spokesperson for the police confirmed that specialists were actively gathering material evidence at the scene after officers located and neutralized the hazardous items.
Local publication Märkische Allgemeine reported that the objects found at the facility included both improvised explosive and incendiary devices. Journalists stated that they had obtained a photograph of one device, though its exact technical construction remains unknown.
Targeted Energy Infrastructure
Police investigators believe the explosives were placed deliberately with the aim of triggering a widespread blackout across the regional power grid.
Despite the potential threat, transmission network operator 50Hertz told local media that the incident caused only a brief operational interruption to the grid. Law enforcement officials emphasized that there was no ongoing danger to the local population.
The Preilack substation serves as a vital distribution hub, routing electricity generated at the nearby Jänschwalde coal-fired power station to consumers both within Brandenburg and to neighboring regions.
Authorities revealed that the Preilack installation has been repeatedly targeted in deliberate sabotage attempts intended to cause large-scale electrical outages. Previous attacks on the substation succeeded in disrupting one of the main power generation units at the Jänschwalde plant.
Role of the Jänschwalde Facility
The Jänschwalde coal power station is located in the Spree-Neisse district of Brandenburg, near the Polish border. As one of Germany's major lignite-fired electricity generating stations, it supplies power to millions of industrial and residential users across eastern Germany.
Electrical substations such as the Turnow-Preilack facility play an essential role in stepping up electrical voltage from generation plants so that current can travel efficiently across high-voltage transmission lines.
Grid operator 50Hertz manages the high-voltage transmission system across eastern Germany, including Berlin and Brandenburg, overseeing thousands of kilometres of power lines that connect generation facilities to municipal utilities.
Pattern of Capital Power Cuts
The incident in Turnow-Preilack comes amid heightened scrutiny of energy infrastructure safety following several recent blackouts affecting the German capital.
In September 2025, tens of thousands of households in the south-eastern districts of Berlin were left without electricity after a major fire damaged two pylons carrying high-voltage transmission lines. German police investigated that incident under suspicion of arson.
A second major blackout struck Berlin in January 2026, causing further widespread disruption across parts of the city's residential and commercial power networks.
Police investigations into the Turnow-Preilack discovery remain ongoing as forensic teams work to identify those responsible for placing the devices.
