German authorities arrested a 54-year-old Greek national and a 37-year-old Romanian on charges of sabotaging warships belonging to the German Navy.

According to the indictment, both men worked at a shipyard in Hamburg and allegedly tampered with vessels intended for the German Navy.

As reported by Bild, the suspects poured more than 20 kilos of gravel into the engine of the corvette Emden, damaged fresh-water supply pipes, removed caps from fuel tanks, and disabled safety switches in electronic systems. Authorities discovered the sabotage shortly before the ship’s first departure in mid-January 2025, when it was scheduled to sail to Kiel.

Police carried out the arrests in Hamburg and in a village near Komotini, following an operation by Hamburg authorities in cooperation with the Office of the Federal Prosecutor General. Investigators also searched properties linked to suspects in Hamburg, Romania, and Greece. Eurojust, based in The Hague, coordinated the cross-border operation.

National security concerns

Prosecutors stressed that the alleged actions could have caused serious damage or delays, affecting Germany’s national security and the operational readiness of its armed forces. Authorities are also examining whether the suspects acted on behalf of third parties, while the analysis of evidence remains ongoing. The Office of the Federal Prosecutor General emphasized that the presumption of innocence applies until the conclusion of criminal proceedings.

The corvette Emden and the naval program

The corvette Emden, launched in early May 2024 at the Blohm + Voss shipyard, completed its first extended sea trials in mid-January 2025. The vessel is one of five new Braunschweig-class (Class 130) corvettes ordered in 2017 as part of a naval procurement program worth a total of €2 billion.