German leftwing militants protesting over the climate crisis and AI have claimed responsibility for an arson attack that cut power to tens of thousands of households in Berlin. The area affected by the power cut includes many elderly care homes and hospitals as well as high-rise buildings with residents who are reliant on elevators that are now out of order. In March 2024, Vulkangruppe claimed an arson attack against a pylon at the Tesla gigafactory outside Berlin that cut off electricity to the plant and temporarily halted production. In its 2024 annual security report, Germany’s domestic intelligence watchdog cited repeated attacks on the regional power grid by Vulkangruppe, which it classes as a leftwing extremist organisation. Experts said attacks on energy infrastructure required little specialist knowledge to have a dramatic impact, with maps featuring key components of the power grid widely available online and few contingency plans ready to be enacted in case of sabotage.

Source: The Guardian January 04, 2026 21:05 UTC