KOELN
Course/Position
2 min ago
Latest ports
Latest Waypoints
Latest news
Probe into sabotage had to be dropped due to a lack of evidence
A probe into sabotage of the 'Köln' and other German Naval ships at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg has been dropped for lack of evidence, prosecutors said on Aug 11, 2026. The Hamburg prosecutors remained convinced that corvettes were tampered with, however, it could not be established with the degree of certainty required to justify bringing charges which of the two suspects carried out the alleged act. A 38-year-old Romanian and a 55-year-old Greek were released in March, after their arrest warrants had to be lifted. They had been arrested in Hamburg and Greece in early February. The men were alleged to have carried out acts of sabotage at severak corvettes while working at the shipyard in Hamburg. They were suspected of putting more than 20 kilograms of abrasive blasting grit into the engine block of one of the vessels, puncturing fresh-water supply lines, removing fuel-tank caps and disabling circuit breakers for the electronics on the 'Köln'. It remained unclear who was behind the tampering. In its latest annual report, the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) warned of espionage and sabotage activities originating from Russia. The German armed forces were among the institutions in Germany considered most at risk. In January, laws targeting so-called disposable agents who carry out acts of sabotage for foreign powers were tightened.
Upload News