Romanian citizen arrested for attempted sabotage of German Navy ships

Two men, a 37-year-old Romanian and a 54-year-old Greek citizen, have been arrested in Germany and Greece, respectively, suspected of attempted sabotage of several ships belonging to the German Navy, News.ro reported.

They allegedly introduced “over 20 kilograms of abrasive gravel into a ship’s engine, perforated freshwater supply pipes, removed fuel tank caps, and deactivated the ship’s electronic system circuit breakers,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office stated.

They are also suspected of other attempted acts of sabotage. However, the arrest warrant currently concerns only one ship, the prosecutor’s office told AFP, cited by News.ro.

The two are suspected of committing these acts in 2025, “as part of their activities” in the port area of Hamburg, according to prosecutors. At the time, they were working at the Port of Hamburg on several corvettes of the German Federal Navy, moored at the shipyard.

The acts of sabotage were discovered during an inspection at the shipyard. Had these acts not been discovered, “they could have caused considerable damage to the ships and in any case would have delayed their departure, thereby compromising Germany’s security” and “the effectiveness of the German armed forces,” the prosecutor’s office alleged.

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