 "Germany is alarmed by the war in Ukraine and fears sabotage of the water supply near a military base – Firstpost")
Germany is alarmed by the war in Ukraine and fears sabotage of the water supply near a military base – Firstpost
Authorities in western Germany have warned around 10,000 residents not to drink tap water after a hole was discovered in a fence surrounding a water tank that also supplies a nearby military base.
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Authorities in western Germany have warned around 10,000 residents not to drink tap water after a hole was discovered in the fence surrounding a water tank that also supplies a nearby military base, the second such incident this week.
Local authorities in the town of Mechernich said the severed fence was discovered on Thursday afternoon and tests are currently being carried out to determine whether the water is contaminated.
Germany – a key ally of Kyiv – is on high alert for acts of sabotage and attacks on military facilities in the country following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Unauthorized access” to the Mechernich drinking water system “may have led to a health-endangering contamination of the drinking water,” the city’s website said late Thursday.
Residents of Mechernich and surrounding towns – about 10,000 people in total – were told not to use the water for drinking, showering, cooking or washing clothes.
The water supply network in Mechernich also supplies a nearby Bundeswehr military base. The hole in the fence was discovered this week when patrols were stepped up following a suspected act of sabotage at a base near Cologne airport, local official Thomas Hambach told German media.
The Cologne-Wahn base was temporarily sealed off on Wednesday after a hole in a fence was discovered near a drinking water reservoir.
Later tests showed “unusual values” in the water, the military said.
The Defense Ministry said authorities were investigating a possible act of sabotage.
At about the same time, NATO announced that there had been an attempted intrusion late Tuesday evening into its base in Geilenkirchen, western Germany, where AWACS reconnaissance aircraft are stationed.
No connection with the Cologne incident could be established and NATO said there were no concerns about the water supply in Geilenkirchen.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday that the security concerns “show that we must remain vigilant.”
In April, investigators arrested two German-Russians. They are accused of spying for Russia and planning attacks in Germany – including on US military facilities – in order to undermine military support for Ukraine.
