Munich defence firms targeted by arson attack in fresh German incident

Arson attacks hit a construction site in Munich overnight, with Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann confirming on Thursday that companies in the defence and security sector were targeted in the latest incident to hit Germany in recent days, reported dpa.

A "political background" is suspected, Herrmann said, confirming that a counterterrorism unit in the Bavarian capital has taken over the investigation.

Two Bulgarian nationals - a 28-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man - were detained at a petrol station shortly after the incident.

The site was located near Munich's eastern train station and facilities linked to drone companies Helsing and Rhode & Schwarz. Helsing has not commented on the incident, while the latter said its premises were not hit.

Several incendiary devices were thrown onto the construction site overnight. At least one of them started a fire, which police officers extinguished.

No significant damage was caused, a police spokesman said, but a further incendiary device had to be defused by specialist officers.

The devices are believed to have been thrown from a car around midnight (2200 GMT Wednesday). A witness observed the incident and alerted police.

The threat to German defence companies has increased over the past four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Germany is investing heavily in its military in response to the threat to NATO states from Russia. Its defence sector is increasingly becoming the target of hybrid attacks as well as actions by far-left extremist groups.

The incident comes after two German electrical substations hundreds of kilometres apart reported suspected acts of sabotage on Tuesday, and days after Berlin officially blamed Russia for the attempted attack involving an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig airport.

"Overall, this incident shows that, as has already been the case in other parts of Germany in recent days, we now face an increased risk of attacks on our own infrastructure, but also quite clearly in connection with defence companies in our country," said Herrmann.

"What we are seeing are attempted or actual attacks, such as at Leipzig airport, the electricity substations in recent days, and now, quite specifically, in connection with companies operating in the defence and security sectors.

"We must take these risks very seriously and be prepared for the fact that something like this could happen any day, in any other location in Germany," he added.