Romanian arrested in Germany for sabotaging warships of the German Navy, including the “Emden” corvette

The Security Police and the prosecutor's office of the state of Hamburg announced on Tuesday the arrest of a 37-year-old Romanian man and a 54-year-old Greek citizen, the two workers being suspected of committing acts of sabotage at the naval corvettes of the German Navy docked in the port of Hamburg, reports Bild, quoted by the Reuters agency.

Raids related to this case took place in Hamburg and in a village in Greece, writes Bild. Apartments belonging to the suspects in Hamburg, Romania and Greece were also searched, according to the quoted source. The operation was coordinated by Eurojust, the Hague-based agency responsible for combating cross-border organized crime.

According to the prosecutor's office in Hamburg, the two accused would have sabotaged several ships destined for the German Navy last year, while they were working in the port of Hamburg. These ships were docked at a shipyard.

The men, aided by possible accomplices, allegedly poured more than 20 kilograms of steel pellets into a ship's engine block, punctured drinking water supply pipes, removed fuel tank caps and disabled safety switches in the ship's electronic system. The incident was only discovered during an on-board inspection before the corvette Emden left on its maiden voyage to Kiel in mid-January.

“Emden” is part of the most modern class of corvettes of the German Navy.

German prosecutors say the actions of the suspects endangered the country's security

According to the Attorney General's Office, the acts could have caused significant damage to the ships or delayed their departure – and thus jeopardized Germany's security and the combat effectiveness of the troops.

The evaluation of the seized evidence is ongoing. The investigation also aims to establish the person who could have ordered the sabotage.

Emden was christened at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in early May 2024 and, four years after her keel was laid, she conducted her first extended sea trial in mid-January 2025. She is one of five new Type 130 corvettes ordered by the German Armed Forces in 2017 at a total cost of two billion euros.

The ships were to be stationed at the Hohe Düne naval base near Warnemünde and receive technical support in Kiel. Their deployment was planned for maritime surveillance, along with a greater presence in the Baltic Sea.