Arson Destroys Bundeswehr Trucks in Suspected Russian Sabotage
Six German military trucks were destroyed in a suspected arson attack at a Bundeswehr logistics site in Erfurt, in what appears to be a Russian-linked sabotage operation.
Footage posted Thursday by a pro-Russian Telegram channel shows Rheinmetall MAN trucks bearing Bundeswehr crosses and German license plates engulfed in flames.
The Telegram channel claimed the military trucks were bound for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“There’s a city called Erfurt in Germany, where various military vehicles are brought in for repair for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the post reads. “Our people decided that all of that was unnecessary — that the Ukrainian military didn’t need that equipment — so they simply burned it. That’s how it is.”
Analysts said all the vehicles are likely linked to the Bundeswehr’s Strategic Logistics Command as they bore German military markings and license plates.
German authorities have yet to comment on the incident or confirm the extent of the damage, but open-source reports estimate damages at €2.5 million ($2.7 million).
The attack follows a pattern of Russian intelligence operations targeting military assets across Europe.
Last year, German authorities arrested two Russian-German nationals for planning attacks on military and industrial sites. Separately, a Bundeswehr officer was caught passing classified data to Russia. In another case, sabotage was attempted aboard the F266 Emden corvette, using metal shavings to disable its engine.
European security services believe these incidents are linked to a unit of Russia’s Main Directorate of the General Staff, formed in 2023 to carry out assassinations and sabotage across Europe.
Its operations reportedly include arson attempts in Leipzig and Warsaw, as well as attacks on DHL cargo aircraft.
