A newly-built German warship may have been targeted by saboteurs, reports suggest, amid warnings from the nation’s navy about possible Russian involvement in similar acts.
The Emden, a corvette-class warship designed for operations in the Baltic Sea, had its maiden voyage called off after employees at the Hamburg Blohm+Voss shipyard discovered “dozens of kilos of metal shavings” in the ship’s gearbox. This was first reported by German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Tuesday, following a joint investigation with broadcasters WDR and NDR.
Newsweek has contacted the German navy and the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
While the identity of the perpetrators and their potential Russian links remain unclear, the report comes amid concerns over similar sabotage attempts on Germany’s other vessels and military infrastructure. Officials have raised alarms about these incidents, while issuing warnings that Moscow may be ramping up efforts to destabilize NATO member states’ domestic operations, suggesting a potential shift in its military tactics further west than previously anticipated.
What To Know
According to Tuesday’s report, an inspection in early January prior to the Emden‘s inaugural voyage revealed the presence of metal shavings in the ship’s propulsion system, which could have resulted in significant damage if it had gone undetected.
The Emden was constructed at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg, and was scheduled for delivery to the navy prior to conducting operations in the Baltic Sea, where NATO is currently ramping up its presence to protect undersea infrastructure from threats posed by states and non-state actors.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Vice Admiral of the German Navy Jan Christian Kaack explicitly did not confirm Sueddeutsche Zeitung’s report, but said that “more than one” of the country’s vessels have been subject to sabotage attempts in recent years. During the press conference in Berlin, Kaack also mentioned intrusions at naval bases, as well as attempts to approach soldiers in uniform as they returned home without specifying who was behind these cases.
He later stated that the “growing threat from Russia is more urgent at the beginning of 2025 than it was two years ago,” NTV reported, though he stopped short of directly linking Moscow with the string of concerning incidents to Moscow.
Recent drone sightings over German air bases have also raised concerns that Russia may be conducting surveillance in preparation for potential attacks. Moscow has also been linked with the sabotage of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.
What People Are Saying
Jan Christian Kaack, vice admiral of the German navy, as quoted by NTV: “We are being tested. They are trying to unsettle our society, both nationally and in alliances.” He added that recent cases may serve as a “basis for later active military activities.”
“The growing threat from Russia is more urgent at the beginning of 2025 than it was two years ago,” Kaack said. “Experts and intelligence agencies agree that Russia will be able to seek a conflict with NATO from 2029.”
During the christening ceremony for the Emden in May 2023, Vice Admiral Frank Lenski said that the warship would serve as a key asset in protecting the northern flank of the NATO alliance area, while warning that Russia had emerged as a stronger maritime military force following two years of the Ukraine conflict.
What Happens Next?
The regional Hamburg prosecutor’s office and the local police may be investigating the incident, according to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, though authorities refused to comment on the Emden incident to the outlet.
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