germany

A massive weekend blackout hit southern Berlin, leaving 45,000 households and more than 2,000 businesses without electricity. The attack, which started a fire on a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal near the Lichterfelde power station, is believed by local authorities to be the work of left-wing extremists targeting artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Targeted Attack on Infrastructure During Freezing Weather
The fire broke out on a major cable bridge in the Zehlendorf district during the weekend. The power outage struck residents amid freezing temperatures below zero. Stromnetz Berlin, the city's grid operator, confirmed in an official January 5 statement that the fire was extinguished on January 3 and restoration efforts were immediately underway.
Thanks to emergency measures—including connecting backup generators—electricity was restored to 27,800 households and 1,450 businesses. By January 4, power was also restored to five hospitals and 67 out of 74 care facilities. Full restoration is expected by January 8.

Extremist Group “Vulkangruppe” Suspected Behind Attack
Berlin’s interior minister Iris Spranger labeled the incident “left-wing terrorism.” Both she and mayor Kai Wegner condemned the sabotage as part of a pattern of attacks targeting Germany’s power grid. Authorities suspect the radical group Vulkangruppe, which also claimed responsibility for a similar attack four months ago.
Unofficial reports suggest the group issued a 2,500-word manifesto in which it claimed responsibility, calling the act “self-defense” against the climate crisis and criticizing the high energy demands of AI data centers. The message allegedly included fire details and a statement of apology to those affected—except for “many villa owners,” whom they explicitly excluded from sympathy.

Not the First Incident – Tesla Gigafactory Also Targeted
In March 2024, a similar arson attack disabled an electric substation near Tesla’s German Gigafactory, forcing the plant to shut down temporarily. The same group, Vulkangruppe, also claimed responsibility in a similar letter criticizing Tesla’s environmental track record.
According to the 2024 annual report by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), repeated attacks on regional power infrastructure were linked to this extremist group.

AI Becomes a New Target of Extremist Rage
The attack comes at a time of growing global focus on artificial intelligence. Companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity are launching next-generation AI browsers designed to transform web search, reservations, and e-commerce. But the development of AI also brings new risks, including prompt injection attacks, which can alter the behavior of large language models.

Escalating Tensions
The Berlin incident signals that progress in AI and digital infrastructure may increasingly come under attack—not only from regulators but also from radical groups. Whether this was an isolated act or the start of a new wave of physical sabotage against digital infrastructure remains to be seen.

#worldnews , #technews , #Germany , #OpenAI , #Tesla

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