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Two military bases in Germany, including a NATO base where reconnaissance aircraft are based, were sealed off on Wednesday as authorities investigated possible acts of sabotage involving water supplies to the locations, according to German media reports.
The water supply at a German base in the city of Cologne, which has its own waterworks and borders the city’s airport, may have been contaminated, Spiegel reported on Wednesday, citing an internal memo in which soldiers and civilian forces were urged not to use the tap water on the base under any circumstances.
German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that a NATO base in Geilenkirchen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has also been sealed off due to possible sabotage of the water supply, citing a German military spokesperson. The barracks on the NATO base are said to have their own water pumping station. Reconnaissance aircraft are stationed at the Geilenkirchen NATO airbase.
In the Cologne case, a hole in the fence of the Cologne-Wahn base was discovered, pointing to a possible intrusion, according to Spiegel. The incident is currently being investigated by police and the German military’s counterintelligence services, Spiegel reported.
Around 4,300 soldiers and 1,200 civilian forces are said to work at the site in Cologne, where several command authorities and civilian departments of the German military, as well as aircraft used by the Defense Ministry, are based, Spiegel reported.
The Bundeswehr, NATO and the Defense Ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment from POLITICO.
While there are no indications of who may have been responsible for the suspected sabotage, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in June warned of growing espionage and cyber threats from foreign adversaries including Russia, China and Iran.
An arson attack on a metal factory belonging to arms manufacturer Diehl in Berlin was among the latest cases of alleged sabotage. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the fire was set by Russian saboteurs aiming to disrupt shipments of critical arms and ammunition to Ukraine.
The Cologne-Wahn airbase is an important transport hub for Ukrainian soldiers trained in Germany.
