Two shipbuilders, a 37-year-old Romanian and a 54-year-old Greek, are accused of interfering with German warships by pouring more than 20kg of steel pellets into the engine block, puncturing freshwater pipes, removing fuel tank caps and deactivating fuses in the ship's electronic system.
Prosecutors said that 2 modern frigates were anchored at Hamburg port in 2025 when the sabotage occurred.
The incident was discovered during a pre-departure inspection when the Emden frigate was preparing for its first voyage to the port city of Kiel.
At that time, the remaining ship - the Koln frigate, went out of power and started to smoke. The German newspaper Bild reported that a crew member accidentally discovered smoke.
According to the German Attorney General's office, if uncovered, the incident could cause significant damage. Prosecutors are still reviewing evidence and addressing the question of who ordered the sabotage.
Two shipbuilders were arrested in Hamburg and a village in Greece. The suspects' private homes in Hamburg, Romania and Greece were also searched by authorities.
According to Greek police officials and security sources, the 54-year-old man was arrested at his home in northern Greece after a European arrest warrant was issued by Germany.
Among the items seized from this man's house were 6 mobile phones, 3 USBs, 1 SIM card and 1 hard drive, as well as evidence of 19 bank accounts.
According to documents from the Greek court, these men were hired to paint the Koln frigate in June 2025.
During the working process, they were accused of automatically turning off the control panel, turning off the power on the ship and posing a fire hazard.
A spokesman for the Hamburg prosecutor's office declined to say whether officials suspect Russia is behind this sabotage.
