An attempt to contaminate the drinking water system was discovered aboard the German frigate Hessen, marking another incident targeting Germany’s naval vessels.
According to an investigation by WDR, NDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, unknown individuals attempted to pollute the drinking water system by pouring dozens of liters of used oil into it. The incident occurred this week while the vessel was docked at the naval base in Wilhelmshaven.
The sabotage attempt was detected when a private company from Lower Saxony was tasked with filling the drinking water system. Thanks to the vigilance of the German Navy personnel, significant contamination was prevented.
A spokesperson for Germany’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that a “possible security-related incident” had been identified at the Wilhelmshaven naval base on February 20. He stated that the circumstances are being investigated by military and civilian authorities but declined to provide further details.
This is not an isolated case. Just a few days ago, Der Spiegel reported on a possible sabotage incident involving a naval minesweeper, whose cable harnesses were cut in 2024 while it was at a shipyard in Rostock.
