Following the recent acts of sabotage at energy substations in Brandenburg and near Cologne, greater attention is once again being paid to the protection of critical infrastructure. It appears that the perpetrator is indeed a lone actor, according to Umbach. However, he also emphasized that the threat of Russian hybrid attacks persists, including through so-called “disposable agents.”
Dr. Frank Umbach also explained why a stable energy supply is so important for maintaining a functioning society. A failure at a substation can have cascading regional effects on the entire critical infrastructure, including, for example, water and food supplies, Umbach said. Nor should the threat of cyberattacks—which, alongside the power supply, is the second indispensable foundation for maintaining critical infrastructure—be underestimated.