Aiwanger condemns firebomb attack on Rohde & Schwarz site

Bavaria’s Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger has condemned the suspected arson attack on a construction site outside the Munich headquarters of technology group Rohde & Schwarz, broadcaster BR reported. He described the incident as a “cowardly attack” and praised police for quickly arresting two suspects.

“We must face the reality that cowardly attacks on German companies and infrastructure are increasing,” Aiwanger said. He added that this was not the first case in which a technology company connected to the security and defence industry had been targeted.

Aiwanger said he was relieved that the incident had not caused greater damage. He praised the work of the officers, saying the quick investigation showed the quality of the Bavarian police. Referring to a second incendiary device that had not ignited, he said authorities could not rely on the perpetrators’ incompetence.

According to police, a witness saw incendiary devices being thrown from a car at a construction site in eastern Munich overnight into Thursday. One device started a fire near construction containers outside the Rohde & Schwarz headquarters. Specialists defused another device. Police said there was no major damage.

Officers arrested a 28-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man at a nearby petrol station shortly after the incident. Both are Bulgarian nationals.

ARD terrorism expert Michael Götschenberg said there were “strong indications” that the suspects could be so-called disposable agents, people who may have carried out the attack on behalf of a Russian intelligence service. He said the case had a strong body of evidence, partly because suspects had been arrested, and described an escalation in the scale and severity of sabotage operations by Russian intelligence services.