German military base was cordoned off for several hours as authorities investigated suspected sabotage. At another NATO airbase in the country, there was an attempted break-in, officials said.
The Bundeswehr base in Köln-Van was blocked due to "suspicion of attempted infiltration and suspicion of sabotage," defense ministry spokesman Col. Arne Kolatz said in Berlin.
A hole was discovered in the fence near drinking water storage facilities, the command reported on the X social network.
"The perpetrators have not been found, and the water in the site is being checked as a precaution. The base was reopened later in the day.
Soldiers and civilians at the Bundeswehr base have been advised not to drink water from the tap due to concerns that the water supply "may be contaminated", Der Spiegel reported.
The Köln-Wan base, located near Köln-Bonn Airport, houses several military and civilian installations of the German armed forces, as well as aircraft used by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers for government travel.
The base is also an important center for military support to Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers regularly return from there via Poland after training in Germany.
Enhanced security
On August 13, there was an attempt to infiltrate the NATO base in the western German city of Geilenkirchen, the military alliance said in a statement.
An individual attempted to enter the base but was stopped and turned away, an Alliance spokesman said. A "routine" inspection of the site and employees was then carried out. Police are investigating the incident.
The NATO site also increased its security level and carried out inspections of the water supply.
The base, which houses NATO's AWACS reconnaissance aircraft, was not cordoned off and continued to operate at full capacity.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said authorities responded quickly to both sites by closing access, alerting investigators and ordering laboratory tests to check for possible contamination.
"These incidents show that we must remain vigilant," he stressed.
Markus Faber, a German lawmaker from the liberal SPD party and chairman of the parliament's defense committee, told the Bild newspaper that since the two incidents happened so soon after each other, "it can be assumed that a hostile actor wants to demonstrate your sabotage skills".
Germany - a key ally of Kiev - is on high alert for sabotage and attacks on military sites in the country after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In April, investigators arrested two men of German-Russian origin on suspicion of spying for Russia and planning attacks in Germany, including against US military facilities, to undermine military support for Ukraine. I BGNES
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