The left-wing extremist “Volcano Group” has claimed responsibility for a fire in south-west Berlin that plunged large parts of the city into darkness, damaged high-voltage cables, and left tens of thousands of residents without electricity amid freezing winter conditions.

The attack occurred early on Saturday, January 3, near the Lichterfelde power plant, where a cable bridge was set ablaze, cutting electricity to around 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses in south-west Berlin. Grid operator Stromnetz Berlin said power is expected to be restored to all customers by Thursday afternoon, January 8, 2026.

In a statement, the group described the attack as “an act of self-defense and international solidarity with all those who protect the Earth and life.” They added that their sympathy was “limited” towards villa owners in the area.

The attack marks the second time in four months that left-wing extremists have targeted Berlin’s power supply. In September, an attack on a power pylon in the southeast of the city left parts of Köpenick without electricity for several days.

Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner, described the attack as “terrorism.” 

“It was a left-wing extremist group that once again attacked our infrastructure and thereby threatened people’s lives—the lives of elderly people who may need ventilators, the lives of families with small children,” Wegner added.

Former president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen, sharply criticized the Senate and security agencies for what he described as a “dilettantish” handling of the situation. “The domestic intelligence agency and the police have failed when it comes to left-wing extremism,” he said. He argued that the “Volcano Group” follows a pattern known for years and is associated with the Antifa milieu, with links to arson and sabotage attacks spanning more than a decade.

He questioned why the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the police “have failed to this day,” and why the Federal Prosecutor General has not taken decisive action, alleging that political considerations have blocked a tougher response. He argued “politicians tacitly condone or even encourage this,” since these crimes are committed by leftist groups and get preferential treatment over other terrorist organizations.

Maaßen also accused the political and media establishment of systematically downplaying left-wing extremist violence. He argued that only decisive prosecutions would deter future attacks on critical infrastructure.