German Military Base Sealed Amid Sabotage Fears: Soldiers Warned Not to Drink Tap Water

A military base in Cologne, Germany has been sealed off and soldiers advised against drinking tap water due to potential sabotage. The base, home to personnel and military aircraft, is undergoing investigation by police and military intelligence. No immediate suspect has been identified.

A German military base next to Cologne airport has been sealed off, with thousands of soldiers advised not to drink tap water as authorities investigate possible sabotage, according to a security source on Wednesday.

The water supply on the base, which houses 4,300 soldiers and 1,200 civilian employees, may have been contaminated following a breach of the premises, the source said, confirming a report by Spiegel magazine. Precautionary measures have been taken while police, military police, and military intelligence probe the suspected sabotage.

The Cologne-Wahn base hosts Germany's fleet of military aircraft used for travel by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers. A spokesperson for the Territorial Command in Berlin confirmed the base had been sealed but did not elaborate further. "We have our reasons for taking this action, and we take the case seriously," the spokesperson stated.

The military intelligence agency and Cologne police have not commented on the incident. While NATO has previously warned about sabotage and cyberattacks potentially linked to Russia, there is no current indication of who might be responsible for the breach.

In June, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg noted an uptick in hostile activities, attributing it to increased Russian intelligence operations. Several countries, including Germany, Poland, Britain, and the Czech Republic, have reported related incidents in recent months.

(With inputs from agencies.)