New concerns over possible drinking water sabotage at German army base
A new alert has been issued in Germany over the possible deliberate contamination of drinking water at an army base, close to the site of a similar case two days ago, local authorities said on Friday.
The municipality of Mechernich, near Cologne in the west of the country, reported a break-in at a drinking water treatment and distribution site that supplies a nearby army base, among other locations.
“Due to an intrusion at the drinking water distribution site in the town of Mechernich, it is possible that the drinking water has been contaminated in a way that is dangerous to health,” the municipality and the Mechernich health service said in a press release. People in the area have been warned not to shower or drink tap water.
The security fence surrounding the water treatment system was cut to force entry. A local councillor, Thomas Hambach, said the intrusion had been discovered by an army patrol, following the tightening of controls after recent suspicions of sabotage in Cologne. The drinking water site has an alarm system but it did not work, he said.
"It is possible that the drinking water has been contaminated in a way that is dangerous to health"
Fears of sabotage prompted security alerts at two military bases in the country on Wednesday, one in Cologne belonging to the air force, which provides military aid to Ukraine, and another belonging to NATO.
In Cologne, too, the authorities discovered a hole in a fence surrounding a drinking water site supplying the barracks and sealed off the premises. Checks have not yet confirmed any contamination.
At the same time, NATO reported an attempted break-in at its Geilenkirchen airbase, where AWACS reconnaissance aircraft are based, but no link between the two incidents has been established.
“These incidents show that we must remain vigilant,” said Defence minister Boris Pistorius.
Several German politicians have suggested Russia’s possible responsibility in Wednesday’s incidents, saying they could be part of a hybrid war linked to Berlin's support for Kyiv.
A police car ar the entrance to the Cologne-Wahn military base, 14 August 2024 © PHOTO ROBERTO PFEIL/DPA
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