Romanian authorities said on Monday they uncovered a network coordinated by Russia and believed to be responsible for an industrial fire near a state-owned weapons factory. The intelligence service stated that the blaze on September 14 in the central city of Brasov formed part of a wider campaign of sabotage operations orchestrated by Moscow during the war in Ukraine.
The agency said the operations targeted arms manufacturers and other sites of military and industrial interest. These actions are intended to intimidate, undermine defence capabilities and weaken the contribution of targeted states to regional security. Moscow has previously denied similar accusations, and there was no immediate comment from Russia on the latest claim.
Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, known as DIICOT, stated that three individuals were involved in the Brasov fire, including two Belarusians and one Ukrainian. All three lived in European Union countries. Investigators reported that two of the suspects were tracked down and remanded in custody in Germany while preparing to commit similar offences.
The intelligence agency explained that recruitment for such networks frequently occurs on social media platforms. Recruits are initially offered money for seemingly harmless tasks, such as observing or photographing specific targets. Over time, assignments escalate to vandalism, arson or murder, the agency warned.
President Nicusor Dan stated that Romania is a target of a hybrid war waged by Russia to destabilise nations supporting Kyiv. He cited drone incursions into Romanian airspace, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and sabotage. Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu wrote on social media that the Brasov fire formed part of a broader campaign of sabotage across Europe targeting military production.
The accusation follows a series of incidents at defence sites across Europe. In September, explosions and a fire occurred at an ammunition storage site in Bulgaria, following an earlier blaze at another munitions facility operated by the same arms maker. Also in September, firebombs were thrown near the offices of a defence company in Munich, and Romanian authorities detained a Russian citizen accused of photographing military sites.
An ammunition factory near Rome operated by KNDS suffered a blast in August. At sea, at least eight cargo ships have been hit off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria over the past three weeks, leaving about 34 sailors 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.
