Romanian investigators link Brasov factory fire to Russian sabotage cell

Romanian intelligence authorities identified a network coordinated by Moscow that they say caused a fire at an industrial site near a state-owned weapons factory in Brasov. The blaze occurred on September 14. The Intelligence Service stated on Monday that the incident was part of a wider campaign targeting arms manufacturers and other military interests during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, known as DIICOT, identified three individuals involved in the arson. The group consists of two Belarusians and one Ukrainian, all of whom reside in European Union countries. German authorities detained two of the suspects while they were preparing to commit similar offenses. The third suspect remains at large in Poland.

According to the Intelligence Service, recruits for these networks are often sourced through social media. Initially, targets are offered money for simple tasks like photographing locations. The agency noted that these duties eventually escalate to vandalism, arson, or even murder. The stated goal of these actions is to intimidate defense industries and weaken the security contributions of targeted states.

Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu described the Brasov fire as part of a broader European sabotage campaign aimed at military production. He stated on X that hybrid attacks would not stop Romania from strengthening its defense. President Nicusor Dan has previously called the country a target of a hybrid war, citing drone incursions, cyberattacks, and disinformation. Romania shares a border of more than 600 kilometers with Ukraine.

Recent weeks have seen a string of incidents at defense sites across Europe. In September, explosions struck an ammunition storage site in Bulgaria operated by EMCO. That same month, firebombs were thrown near defense company offices in Munich. In August, a blast hit an ammunition factory near Rome operated by KNDS. These events have heightened scrutiny of industrial security in NATO and EU member states.

At sea, at least eight cargo ships have been hit off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria in the last three weeks. Approximately 34 sailors are reported dead or missing from these incidents. President Dan called the attacks on ships in Romanian waters a tragic consequence of Russia's aggression. A year ago, police in Poland and Romania detained eight people suspected of a Russian plot to send exploding parcels to Ukraine.

Russia has not provided an immediate comment on the Romanian claim. Moscow has previously denied similar accusations of coordinated sabotage networks operating in Europe. The current investigation focuses on how these small cells operate across national borders using digital recruitment methods.