Russian network set fire near arms plant in Romania - Intelligence
Photo: Romania has uncovered a Russian sabotage network linked to the fire in Brașov (Getty Images)
Romania’s Intelligence Service has uncovered a sabotage network coordinated by Russia. The network was involved in a September fire in Brașov near a plant belonging to state-owned defense company Romarm, and its other targets included training centers for Ukrainian military personnel, Reuters reports.
The fire broke out on the evening of September 14 at the Carfil industrial site in Brașov, near the CARFIL SA facility. It is a subsidiary of Romarm, Romania’s state-owned defense company. The fire engulfed a building covering approximately 1,000 square meters, which housed auto repair workshops, a vehicle inspection station, and a car wash.
DIICOT has opened a criminal investigation into three foreign nationals residing in EU countries:
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Two Belarusian nationals who were detained in Germany while preparing similar acts of sabotage.
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A Ukrainian national who was found in Poland. An arrest warrant for him was issued on October 26.
What targets did the network have?
According to the SRI, Russian coordinators identified targets for the network across the region, including state-owned and private arms manufacturers, as well as other military and industrial facilities. Other sabotage attempts were also detected in Romania this year, including attempts targeting international military facilities and training centers for Ukrainian military personnel.
The intelligence service stressed that the fire in Brașov was part of a broader sabotage campaign coordinated by Russia across Europe. Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has stepped up security at critical infrastructure facilities, defense plants, and major logistics warehouses.
Russia’s pressure on Romania has noticeably intensified this month. On October 17, Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two Russian jet-powered attack drones that violated the country’s airspace over the Black Sea, approximately 120 km east of Zmiinyi Island.
Two days earlier, on October 15, two chemical tankers caught fire in Romanian territorial waters following drone attacks. Seven crew members went missing and five were rescued from the Wine Trader, a vessel flying the flag of San Marino. On October 2, an object resembling a drone crashed near the village of Plauru in Tulcea County, triggering a fire.
Russia is also carrying out sabotage operations elsewhere in Europe. According to The Wall Street Journal, Putin ordered an escalation of sabotage operations against NATO countries. In August, an explosive-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian An-124 aircraft at Leipzig Airport.
