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FIRE AT SUBSTATION IN NICE FOLLOWS SIMILAR ATTACK IN VAR AND THE SABOTAGE OF AN ELECTRICITY PYLON IN ALPES-MARITIMES A series of blackouts caused by suspected attacks on power infrastructure

since Friday (May 23) has caused widespread disruption in the south of France, with investigators scrambling to find the perpetrators. In less than 48 hours, three separate events have

disrupted power to over 200,000 homes across the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments - affecting daily life, public transport, and even the final day of the Cannes Film Festival. The latest

involved a fire at an electrical substation in the Moulins district of Nice in the early hours of Sunday, May 25, causing a blackout that affected around 45,000 homes in the city and nearby

communes including Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer.  The tram network and airport were briefly impacted, with full power restored by 06:00. According to Nice public prosecutor Damien

Martinelli, the fire is being treated as a case of “deliberate damage”, and signs of forced entry were discovered at the site. A criminal investigation is underway, led by the local

judicial police, for organised arson. The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, condemned the incident as a “malicious act” and said the city would file a complaint.  He confirmed that

surveillance footage from the municipal control centre has been handed to investigators, and that security would be reinforced at key electricity sites. CANNES FILM FESTIVAL AFFECTED The

Nice incident came less than 24 hours after two other attacks: an arson attack on a high-voltage substation in Tanneron (Var) and the deliberate cutting of a 225kV electricity pylon in

Villeneuve-Loubet (Alpes-Maritimes).  These attacks caused a blackout that affected around 160,000 homes, including in Cannes, just as the city was preparing for the awards ceremony of its

international film festival. Backup generators allowed the festival to continue with minimal disruption, but the impact was widely felt across the region until power was restored in the

afternoon. Over the weekend, two anarchist groups claimed responsibility for the Cannes blackout, in a statement posted anonymously to the activist site Indymedia.  “We sabotaged the main

electricity substation supplying the Cannes area, and sawed through the 225kV line coming from Nice," the groups wrote, framing the action as part of a broader anti-system protest. The

communiqué goes on to claim the intent was to “disturb the Cannes Festival” and disrupt the functioning of “strategic industrial, military and technological sites” in the region — explicitly

naming defence firm Thales, the airport, and local research centres. While the authenticity of the claim is still under evaluation, prosecutors in Grasse and Draguignan have opened formal

investigations.  The Grasse prosecutor, Damien Savarzeix, said the text is being examined as part of the ongoing inquiry. The incidents are being investigated as “destruction by fire in an

organised group”, and technical analyses are underway to assess the damage and how the perpetrators gained access to the sites. In response, France’s high-voltage network operator RTE has

increased security at key installations, including deploying helicopter patrols to monitor vulnerable infrastructure. Read more: ‘Cataclysmic scenes’ in Var as roads and homes destroyed by

violent storms NO CONFIRMED LINK - BUT 'NOT A COINCIDENCE' Authorities have not officially confirmed a link between the three events.  However, Alpes-Maritimes prefect Laurent

Hottiaux said “a number of factors suggest this is more than just coincidence”. While no specific threat was made against the Cannes festival, anti-terrorism measures remained in place

throughout the weekend. Nice mayor Estrosi said that local police would remain “fully mobilised” until those responsible are found, vowing not to “let our guard down anywhere”. MP Eric

Ciotti called the incidents “extremely serious” and warned that such actions “can endanger lives and seriously disrupt daily life”.