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Arson near Rohde & Schwarz
German authorities are investigating a suspected arson attack at a construction site near the headquarters of the technology company Rohde & Schwarz in Munich after unknown individuals threw incendiary devices around midnight on September 3.
“Police arrested two people suspected of throwing incendiary devices and causing a fire”
Reuters said police arrested two suspects—a 28-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, both Bulgarian—at a nearby petrol station, and officials said the fire caused no significant damage and no one was injured.
A Bavarian police spokesperson, as quoted by Daily Maverick, said there was currently no evidence the attack had been directed specifically at Rohde & Schwarz.
The incident was reported as involving a device that caught fire near construction trailers next to the Rohde & Schwarz headquarters, and law enforcement later found another incendiary device that had not detonated, which a special unit from the LKA defused.
Suspects, motives, and alerts
Investigators are determining the suspects’ possible connection to the attack and their motive, after law enforcement detained them at a nearby gas station on Innsbrucker Ring following a witness report from the Berg am Laim area.
Reuters reported that Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev promised cooperation but declined to give details, while the Daily Maverick account said the fire was quickly extinguished and no one was injured.
DW’s roundup quoted Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann connecting the arson incident to a broader pattern, saying it targeted “defense and security companies in Munich” and likely had a “political background.”
In parallel, Reuters described Germany as investigating the Munich incident amid European sabotage concerns, noting that police investigated two attempts to sabotage the electricity grid within 24 hours in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Hybrid warfare and next steps
The Munich arson probe is unfolding as Germany and its allies respond to a wider set of incidents, with Reuters saying Berlin blamed a drone attack in August at Leipzig/Halle airport on Moscow and that Russia denied involvement while announcing it would close Goethe-Institut cultural centres.
“Russia strongly denies involvement and on Thursday said it would close Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural centres”
Reuters also reported that Poland and Britain summoned Russian diplomats, and that German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcomed an “impressive display of solidarity” when meeting Polish and French counterparts.
In the same security context, DW said Herrmann warned that “we now face an increased risk of attacks,” linking the Munich incident to “the power substations in recent days” and “the one at the Leipzig airport.”
The Straits Times reported that Bulgarian foreign ministry officials confirmed to AFP that two nationals were placed in police custody “as part of an investigation into an attempted arson,” while authorities said police suspected a “political background” and found one firebomb alight and extinguished it before rendering a second harmless.