NATO has closed its air base in Geilenkirchen, Germany. The decision, according to the German media, was made due to an act of sabotage within the territory of the air base in Geilenkirshen.
The spokesman of the Territorial Command of the German Army in Berlin emphasized that the barracks have been closed and the possible contamination of the drinking water is being checked.
The same procedure will be followed for the NATO military base in Cologne, Germany. Thousands of soldiers working there have been advised not to drink the tap water as authorities investigate what may have caused the act of sabotage.
Water contamination has been reported at the Cologne base. The water at the base, which has 4,300 soldiers and 1,200 civilian employees, may have been contaminated after someone broke into the premises, reports German media, Der Spiegel.
The base in Cologne-Wahn is home to the fleet of military aircraft used for travel by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers, but also the base from which supplies for the Ukrainian army depart. Several offices of the American command are also located inside the base.
NATO has previously warned of a campaign of hostile activity organized by Moscow, including acts of sabotage and cyber attacks, but there was no indication of who might have interfered with the Cologne base.
In June, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Western military alliance saw an evolving pattern and that the latest attacks were the result of Russian intelligence becoming more active.