German police have conducted raids linked to an investigation into a suspected plot to disrupt the country’s gas supply following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The searches, carried out on Wednesday in Berlin and Frankfurt, are part of a probe into the 2022 sale of Gazprom Germania, the former German subsidiary of Russian energy giant Gazprom.
Prosecutors allege that the ownership transfer may have been orchestrated to weaken Germany’s energy security. They say a Moscow-based company with no apparent connection to the energy industry took control of the firm and immediately initiated plans to liquidate it.
Investigators believe the move may have been intended to interfere with Germany’s natural gas supply at a critical time, as the country grappled with the fallout from the war in Ukraine.
A Russian national is suspected of assisting in the implementation of the liquidation process and is now a key focus of the investigation. At the time, the German government intervened and assumed control of Gazprom Germania, citing concerns over its ownership structure and the company’s importance to the nation’s energy network.
Germany later nationalized the company, which has since been renamed Securing Energy for Europe GmbH.
The case comes amid heightened concerns over Russian espionage and sabotage activities in Germany, with authorities stepping up measures to protect critical infrastructure and national security.
