A German military base near Cologne airport was temporarily closed Wednesday after a hole in the fence was discovered. Access to the base was restored shortly thereafter, but soldiers were told not to drink tap water. Authorities are investigating a possible sabotage, the German Territorial Command said.
Early Wednesday morning, a guard at the Cologne-Wahn military base discovered a hole in the fence near the water treatment plant at the barracks. A search of the area revealed no intruders, the German Territorial Command said in a press release.
The base, which is home to 4,300 soldiers and 1,200 civilian workers, was temporarily closed but reopened in the afternoon. The facility, located next to Cologne Airport, is home to a fleet of military aircraft used by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers to travel.
The command also said that the base “was interrupted in its water supply because the drinking water system showed unusual values.” The barracks will be supplied with water from canisters until the results of drinking water tests are available.
Authorities are reportedly investigating a possible sabotage.
Cologne-Wahn Military BaseRoberto Pfeil/dpa/PAP
NATO base increases security level
In connection with this incident, another base in nearby Geilenkirchen – belonging to NATO – where a fleet of AWACS reconnaissance aircraft is stationed, has increased the level of security but has not blocked access to it.
“The base was not closed at any point. We checked the water and it is fine, and the base remains accessible,” the spokesman said, denying information previously given by a German army spokesman that the facility had been closed.
Increased sabotage activity by Russia
As Reuters notes, NATO has previously warned of a campaign of hostile actions by Moscow, including acts of sabotage and cyberattacks. However, there is no indication of who may have gained illegal access to the Cologne base.
In June, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance has noticed increased activity by Russian intelligence. In addition, in recent months, several countries, such as Poland, Germany, Great Britain and The czech republicreported incidents that were allegedly related to Russia.
Main image source: Roberto Pfeil/dpa/PAP