In January 2025, German authorities uncovered what appears to be a sabotage attempt on the new 'Emden' corvette, part of a fleet renewal program with five new K130 class ships costing around two billion euros. Unknown perpetrators reportedly introduced dozens of kilograms of metal shavings into the ship's propulsion system at the Blohm+Voss shipyard before the ship's maiden voyage. The ship was cleaned and delivery postponed. The investigation is being handled by the Hamburg State Criminal Police and public prosecutors, although official details are sparse. This incident occurs amid growing warnings from German intelligence of increasing Russian espionage and sabotage activities across Europe, especially targeting military infrastructure. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution highlights the use of so-called 'low-level agents'—often criminals or ordinary citizens recruited via social media and paid in cryptocurrency—to conduct sabotage operations, sometimes for tens of thousands of euros. The 'Emden' is critical for maritime surveillance in the Baltic Sea, an area NATO considers vulnerable to hybrid threats from Russia. The broader context includes recent drone overflights of German military sites and suspected sabotage attempts on European infrastructure, prompting NATO to enhance surveillance and deterrence measures in the Baltic region.

In January 2025, German authorities uncovered what appears to be a sabotage attempt on the new 'Emden' corvette, part of a fleet renewal program with five new K130 class ships costing around two billion euros. Unknown perpetrators reportedly introduced dozens of kilograms of metal shavings into the ship's propulsion system at the Blohm+Voss shipyard before the ship's maiden voyage. The ship was cleaned and delivery postponed. The investigation is being handled by the Hamburg State Criminal Police and public prosecutors, although official details are sparse. This incident occurs amid growing warnings from German intelligence of increasing Russian espionage and sabotage activities across Europe, especially targeting military infrastructure. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution highlights the use of so-called 'low-level agents'—often criminals or ordinary citizens recruited via social media and paid in cryptocurrency—to conduct sabotage operations, sometimes for tens of thousands of euros. The 'Emden' is critical for maritime surveillance in the Baltic Sea, an area NATO considers vulnerable to hybrid threats from Russia. The broader context includes recent drone overflights of German military sites and suspected sabotage attempts on European infrastructure, prompting NATO to enhance surveillance and deterrence measures in the Baltic region.