Sabotage at a shipyard in Hamburg: Greek and Romanian detained for sabotage against the German Navy

An investigation into alleged sabotage against ships of the German Navy continues in Germany and Greece.

According to law enforcement agencies, at the center of the case were A 54-year-old Greek citizen and a 37-year-old Romanian citizen, worked at the shipyard in Hamburg.

According to the prosecution, both men participated in the deliberate damage to warships intended for the German fleet. Their actions were discovered shortly before one of the vessels set sail for the first time in January 2025.

Damage to the corvette Emden

According to the German press, on board the corvette Emden more than 20 kilograms of abrasive gravel. In addition, drinking water lines were damaged, fuel tank caps were removed, and electronic safety switches were disabled.

‼️‼️?? #BREAKING: Two shipyard workers have been arrested of attempting to sabotage multiple German navy warships in Hamburg, Germany.

A 37 year old Romanian and a 54 year old Greek have been detained by the German authorities.

German outlet The Bild reports the “men poured… pic.twitter.com/LfN3qkACEr

— Visioner (@visionergeo) February 3, 2026

The incident was discovered shortly before the ship’s first passage to Kiel. According to experts, if the sabotage had not been detected in time, it could have led to serious technical damage and a delay in the commissioning of the vessel.

Corvette Emden was launched in May 2024 at the Blohm + Voss shipyard and belongs to a series of five ships of the 130 class ordered as part of a rearmament program worth approximately 2 billion euros.

Detentions and international operation

The arrests were made in Hamburg and in the village of Koptero in the Rhodope region in northern Greece. The operation involved German, Greek and Romanian law enforcement agencies, coordinated by the European agency Eurojust.

During searches in Germany, Greece and Romania, mobile phones, electronic media, bank documents and other materials that may be relevant to the investigation were seized.

According to investigators, the Greek suspect is a member of the Muslim minority in Thrace and worked for a long time at a Hamburg shipyard. The search for his case began last fall.

National security issue

The German Prosecutor General’s Office emphasizes that such actions could harm the country’s national security and affect the combat readiness of the armed forces.

The investigation is also checking the version of the possible presence of customers or external influence. At this time, the motives of the suspects have not been officially disclosed, and the analysis of the seized materials continues.

In an official statement, Eurojust noted that thanks to coordination between the countries, possible serious damage to military infrastructure was prevented and suspects were detained in a timely manner.

German prosecutors emphasize that the principle of the presumption of innocence applies until the end of the trial, and the investigation continues.

Where is Putin?

Special attention is drawn to the fact that the “traditional suspect” of the European information agenda, Vladimir Putin, has not yet appeared in this case. In recent years, his name has often appeared in a variety of subjects – from cyber attacks to infrastructure failures and political crises.

In this case, the investigation is so far limited to specific persons involved, physical evidence and examination results. Perhaps this rare example how a complex story avoided the usual geopolitical cliches – and remained within the framework of an ordinary criminal investigation.

However, we do not lose hope, they will definitely find a Russian trace in this matter, if not the Germans, then 100% in Kyiv.

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