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The Wire - September 2, 2026

S2 Underground·Sep 2, 2026·4:14

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//The Wire//2100Z September 2, 2026//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: SABOTAGE ATTACK TARGETS SECOND GERMAN ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION. SHOOTING REPORTED BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN UKRAINE. IRANIAN ATTACKS CONTINUE OVERNIGHT, TARGETING AMERICAN BASES.//

-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Middle East: Last night's attacks by Iran were somewhat successful, with strikes being reported at the airport in Erbil. An Iranian Shahed-type drone also took out the Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) balloon at this location, in addition to striking the fuel point. In Bahrain, several Shahed-type drones targeted the former headquarters of 5th Fleet in Manama and Sheikh Isa Airbase to the south. Several locations were also targeted in Kuwait, with unknown success. As of this report, the United States has not yet responded to the round of Iranian targeting conducted overnight.

Ukraine: Overnight a small arms skirmish was reported in Kiev, which reportedly involved two different Ukrainian governmental agencies engaging each other in the street. Allegedly, the Security Service of Ukraine (the SBU, which is like a uniformed and militarized version of the FBI) detained Stepan Kaplunov who was the deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a unit of ethnic Russians fighting on Ukraine's side during the war. Kaplunov was staying at a residential building in Kiev for Independence Day celebrations last week, when he was reportedly abducted for unknown reasons. After this kidnapping, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (the GUR, or the main military intelligence unit) launched an investigation into why the SBU took him, which resulted in a scuffle and subsequent shootout at the scene of the earlier abduction. One GUR officer is dead, and several others were wounded during the initial engagement.

Analyst Comment: As one might expect, Ukrainian sources are downplaying this incident, and Russian sources are trying to amplify it, so determining the truth is challenging. However the incident did take place, and the small arms engagement in the street between these two agencies was captured on film.

As it stands, video evidence from the time of the shooting indicates that tensions were high between the SBU and the GUR right before shots were fired. Both agencies were arguing with each other, with the SBU refusing to allow the GUR into the crime scene, and a standoff situation emerged. As the agencies continued arguing and fighting with each other, eventually the altercation became physical, and devolved into a shooting. After the shooting, the standoff situation continued throughout the night and the next morning. Eventually, the SBU ended up releasing Kaplunov, ending the incident. Several prominent Ukrainian leaders have called for an investigation into what happened, and for more details to be made public.

Germany: Yesterday afternoon, another electrical substation was targeted by malign actors conducting sabotage operations. Locals observed an explosion and arcing at the Bergheim Power Station in western Germany, shortly before the power went out. Local authorities state that 6x rocket launch sites were located in a field near the second substation that was attacked, continuing the same attack vector as witnessed at a different power station yesterday.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: In Germany, the attacks on electrical substations over the past two days have been substantial. In short, these attacks were probably not carried out by amateurs. Locals report that upwards of twenty separate rockets were launched over the top of the substation near Berlin. These rockets were not fireworks, but specifically constructed devices built for the task. These rockets were also trailing thin copper wire, which was intended to cause electrical shorts.

This is not entirely a new tactic, after all the United States pioneered this tactic of taking out enemy substations with "blackout bombs" that operate very similarly. Cruise missiles were used to deploy such devices over Baghdad during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, with thin graphite wires being trailed over the top of exposed substation transformers and electrical connectors. More recently, an unidentified malign actor also attempted to target an electrical substation in Pennsylvania back in 2020, which resulted in widespread media coverage at the time.

Malign actors using almost thirty rockets to achieve the same effect in Germany is a substantial escalation that is not likely to have been undertaken by non-state actors. Germany is infamous for having some of the more serious ecoterrorists around the world, who have conducted IED attacks, train derailings, and other similar attacks on electrical infrastructure. However, since no ecoterrorist organization has claimed credit yet, right now the leading theory is that these sabotage operations could be sleeper cells conducting attacks around the German countryside.

Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269
Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report.
//END REPORT//

Hosts & Guests

S2 Actual

Host

Transcript

This is the wire for 2100 Zillou, September 2, 2026.

Presidents has routine information cut off as 200, bottom line up front.

Sabotage attack target the second German electrical substation, shooting reported between government

agencies in Ukraine, Iranian attacks continue overnight targeting American bases.

Beginning with international events, in the Middle East, last night's attacks by Iran

were somewhat successful with strikes being reported at the airport in Airbeal.

In Iranian Shahid type drone also took out the persistent threat detection system, or

P-Tids balloon at this location, in addition to striking the fuel point.

In Bahrain, several Shahid type drones targeted the former headquarters of Fifth Fleet

and Manama and Shik Isa Airbase to the south.

Several locations were also targeted in Kuwait with unknown success.

As of this report, the United States has not yet responded to the round of Iranian

targeting conducted overnight.

In Ukraine, overnight a small alarm skirmish was reported in Kiev, which reportedly involved

the two different Ukrainian governmental agencies engaging each other in the street.

Allegedly, the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, which is like a uniformed and militarized

version of the FBI, detained Stepan Kapilanov, who was the deputy commander of the Russian

Volunteer Corps, a unit of ethnic Russians fighting on Ukraine's side during the war.

Kapilanov was staying at a residential building in Kiev for Independence Day celebrations

last week when he was reportedly abducted for unknown reasons.

After this kidnapping, the main directorate of intelligence of the Ministry of Defense

of Ukraine, the U.G.U.R. or the main military intelligence unit, launched an investigation

into why the SBU took him, which resulted in a scuffle and subsequent shootout at the

scene of the earlier abduction.

One U.R. officer is dead and several others were wounded during the initial engagement.

Analysts comment.

As one might expect, Ukrainian sources are downplaying the sensitive and Russian sources are trying to

amplify it, so determining the truth is challenging.

However, the incident did take place, and the small arms engagement in the street between

these two agencies was captured on film.

As it stands, video evidence from the time of the shooting indicates that tensions were

high between the SBU and the U.R. right before shots were fired.

Both agencies were arguing with each other with the SBU refusing to allow the U.R. into

the crime scene and a standoff situation emerged.

As the agencies continued arguing and fighting with each other, eventually the altercation

became physical and devolved into a shooting.

After the shooting, the standoff situation continued throughout the night and the next morning.

Finally the SBU ended up releasing Kaplanov ending the incident.

Several prominent Ukrainian leaders have called for an investigation into what happened

and for more details to be made public.

In Germany, yesterday afternoon, another electrical substation was targeted by malign

actors conducting sabotage operations.

Locals observed an explosion and arcing at the Bearcine power station in western Germany

shortly before the power went out.

Local authorities state that six rocket launch sites were located in a field near the

second substation that was attacked, continuing the same attack vector as witnessed at a different

power station yesterday.

Analysts commas for this wire.

In Germany, the attacks on electrical substations over the past two days have been substantial.

In short, these attacks were probably not carried out by amateurs.

Locals report that upwards of 20 separate rockets were launched over the top of the substation

near Berlin.

These rockets were not fireworks, but specifically constructed devices built for the task.

These rockets were also trailing thin copper wire which was intended to cause electrical

shorts.

This is not entirely a new tactic.

After all, the United States pioneered this tactic of taking out enemies substations with

blackout bombs that operate very similarly.

Cruise missiles were used to deploy such devices over Baghdad during the initial invasion

of Iraq in 2003, with thin graphite wires being trailed over the top of exposed substation

transformers and electrical connectors.

More recently, an unidentified malign actor also attempted to target an electrical substation

in Pennsylvania back in 2020, which resulted in widespread media coverage at the time.

An actor is using almost 30 rockets to achieve the same effect in Germany as a substantial

escalation that is not likely to have been undertaken by non-state actors.

Germany is infamous for having some of the most serious eco-terrorists around the world,

who have conducted IED attacks, train derailings and other similar attacks on electrical infrastructure.

However, since no eco-terrorist organization has claimed credit yet, right now the leading

theory is that these sabotage operations could be sleeper cells, connoting attacks around

the German countryside.

This concludes the wire for 2100 Zulu September 2nd, 2026.

The Wire - September 2, 2026

About this Episode

Hosts & Guests

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