State protection assumes a “politically motivated act”.

Berlin, Frankfort The targeted attack on the communications infrastructure of Deutsche Bahn, which brought rail traffic in the north of the republic to a standstill for three hours on Saturday, is a mystery. According to the authorities’ knowledge, it is clear that this was a “politically motivated act”. However, security experts now do not suspect the perpetrators to be in the left-wing extremist camp. According to information from the Handelsblatt, they assume that a foreign country is behind the crime.

Since there are no letters of confession, an attack by left-wing extremists is unlikely, according to Berlin security circles. The type of attack also spoke against perpetrators from this group. In the past, left-wing extremists destroyed cables with incendiary devices. At the weekend, however, the cables were severed in two different places. This speaks for two independently working cells.

According to security circles, the attack on the railway infrastructure was therefore more likely caused by a foreign country. Much speaks for Russia. Because of Germany’s support for Ukraine, such attacks were to be expected. “Especially after the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines, we had to prepare for it,” said a person from the security apparatus. This has now happened in the case of Deutsche Bahn.

Unknown perpetrators initially opened a cable duct near Herne on Saturday night and severed a line that is essential for Deutsche Bahn communication. The control centers, for example, use the lines to communicate with the trains and the train crew. A short time later, a data cable was also cut in Berlin-Karow. Until then, it had served as a “diversion” for the defective cable in Herne.

The result: the so-called train radio broke down, and as a precautionary measure, Deutsche Bahn stopped train traffic in the north. Hundreds of travelers were temporarily stranded – especially in the large transfer stations such as Hamburg and Hanover.

State security: “Politically motivated act”

With regard to the ongoing investigations, Deutsche Bahn does not want to comment on the course of the crime itself. The incident demanded a lot from the travelers and the employees, for which he apologizes, said Michael Peterson, responsible for long-distance transport on the group board, on Monday morning.

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The own experts could have restored the communication in three hours. “This shows that our contingency plans have worked,” said Peterson. No train was left standing on the open route, and ten resident trains were quickly made available.

The state security in Bochum also assumes that the crime was politically motivated. “We have formed a larger investigative group for state security, which is working flat out to clarify the background to the crime,” said a police spokesman for the dpa news agency. State security is also investigating in Berlin.

Berlin’s Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) does not rule out that the federal authorities could take over the investigations – that would be the case, for example, in the case of suspected terrorism or perpetrators from foreign secret services. It could be that the BKA and the Attorney General are also dealing with it, Spranger said on Monday in the Committee for the Protection of the Constitution. Berlin cannot control that, however, it will be decided in cooperation with the Berlin State Criminal Police Office (LKA).

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