Berlin's Power Blackout: A Stark Warning on Infrastructure Security

Fri Jan 09 2026 02:08:29 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent five-day blackout in Berlin has brought attention to Germany's vulnerabilities to sabotage, as a far-left militant group claims responsibility. The impact on residents amid freezing temperatures raises questions about infrastructure safety and preparedness.

Berlin has been recovering from a five-day power outage caused by an arson attack, marking the longest blackout since World War II. As temperatures dropped below freezing, many residents faced hardship, relying on camping stoves and blankets for warmth. A militant group has claimed responsibility for the incident, sparking debates on Germany's susceptibility to sabotage. Authorities are investigating the situation as a terrorism incident, calling for enhanced protection for critical infrastructure.

Power is being restored to the last homes hit by a five-day blackout in Germany's snow-covered capital, Berlin.

The outage was caused by a suspected arson attack and came as temperatures dipped below freezing.

It is reportedly the longest blackout in the capital's post-war history. A far-left militant group has admitted being behind it.

This weeks' images of residents - young and old - living through a prolonged blackout in the country's capital has reignited a debate about Germany's vulnerability to sabotage attacks, whether by domestic or foreign actors.

Schools, hospitals and care homes are among the tens of thousands of properties which were affected in south-west Berlin.

In Berlin's Steglitz-Zehlendorf district, on Mexikoplatz, a police van drove around announcing the imminent return of power over a tannoy.

Residents regularly approached a group of emergency service workers for the latest information.

Lena said her family had felt lost - relying on a battery-powered radio for updates.

They have been cooking on a camping stove at home while trying to make sure their water pipes don't freeze.

Reinhold, 79, was still without power on Wednesday morning and going to his daughter's house to get warm.

But I always came back to sleep here even in the cold weather with a bobble hat on and sweater and a woollen blanket.

The retired architect said that he was used to hardship having been born in post-war Germany.

I was born in 1947. When my mother and I came from the hospital... it was -20C in our shack.

Restoring electricity is happening on a step-by-step basis, said fire service spokesman Adrian Wentzel.

Resources have been pulled in from across Germany, he told me, with an estimated 100,000 people affected.

This week's outage was larger and lasted longer than a similar incident in September.

Federal prosecutors are investigating the latest incident as a terrorism offence, with possible charges including membership in a terrorist organisation, sabotage, arson and disruption of public services.