Romania Exposes Russian-Linked Sabotage Cell Behind Arms Factory Arson

Authorities say the September blaze in Brașov is part of a broader Russian campaign targeting European nations that support Ukraine.

Romanian authorities have uncovered a sabotage network coordinated by Russia that they believe was responsible for a fire at an industrial site near a state-owned weapons factory in September.

The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) stated on Monday that the blaze in the central city of Brașov on September 14 formed “part of a wider campaign of sabotage operations coordinated” by Moscow amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The agency said the operations targeted arms manufacturers and “other targets of military and industrial interest.”

“These actions are intended to intimidate, undermine defence capabilities and weaken the contribution of the targeted states to European and regional security,” the SRI said in a statement.

Russia has not immediately commented on Romania’s allegations. The Kremlin has previously denied similar accusations.

Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) said three individuals were involved in the Brașov fire — two Belarusian nationals and one Ukrainian, all residing in European Union countries. Two suspects were “tracked down and remanded in custody in Germany while they were preparing to commit similar offenses,” the directorate said. The third suspect remains at large in Poland.

According to the SRI, recruits for such networks are often sourced via social media and initially offered payment for “a seemingly harmless task,” such as “observing or photographing certain targets.” Over time, “the tasks become increasingly serious, potentially involving acts of vandalism, arson or even murder,” the agency added.

‘Hybrid’ War

Romania, a member of both the EU and NATO, shares a border of more than 600 kilometres with Ukraine. President Nicușor Dan has said the country is a target of a hybrid war that Russia is waging to destabilise nations backing Kyiv, citing drone incursions into Romanian airspace, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and sabotage.

Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu described the Brașov fire as “part of a broader campaign of sabotage across Europe” targeting military production. “Hybrid attacks will not hold us back from strengthening our resilience and defense,” he wrote on X.

The accusation follows a string of incidents at defence sites across Europe in recent weeks. In September, explosions and a fire erupted at an ammunition storage site in Bulgaria, weeks after a blaze at another munitions facility in the country. Both sites are operated by the Bulgarian arms maker EMCO, whose munitions are used in Ukraine.

That same month, firebombs were thrown near the offices of a defence company in Munich, and Romanian authorities detained a Russian citizen accused of filming and photographing military sites in preparation for sabotage.

In August, a blast struck an ammunition factory near Rome operated by the arms manufacturer KNDS.

At sea, at least eight cargo ships have been hit off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria over the past three weeks, with about 34 sailors reported dead or missing. President Dan called the attacks on ships in Romanian waters “a new example of the tragic consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”

A year ago, Poland and Romania detained eight people suspected of participating in a Russian plot to send exploding parcels to Ukraine.

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