Sabotage Hits Heart of French Arms Production With Power Grid Attacks

Between the night of April 6 and 7, 2026, multiple fires targeting electrical installations occurred in the Cher department of France, affecting areas including Bourges, La Chapelle-Saint-Ursin, and Saint-Florent-sur-Cher. The sabotage heavily impacted a high-voltage substation supplying power to critical defense industry sites associated with missile manufacturer MBDA and weapon systems producer KNDS, including the Caesar howitzer. Over 3,000 households lost power overnight. Emergency services responded swiftly, deploying around 20 firefighters. Graffiti found at one site suggested anti-war motives. The Bourges prosecutor's office launched an investigation treating the act as deliberate and coordinated sabotage. Repair works are expected to last months and cost millions of euros. This incident is part of a wider pattern of more than 150 hybrid attacks attributed to Russia in Europe since 2022, primarily targeting countries supporting Ukraine.