Russian sabotage network behind Romanian arson attack, officials say
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A fire that broke out on Sept. 14 near a state-owned arms company in Romania was coordinated by a Russian network, Romanian officials said on Oct. 26.
The fire erupted in Brasov, in central Romania, near CARFIL SA, a subsidiary of the national company ROMARM.
The arson attack is "part of a larger campaign of sabotage operations attributed to the Russian Federation in Europe," according to a news release from Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, known as DIICOT, and the Romanian Intelligence Service.
Romanian officials identified three perpetrators who they said were coerced by Russian operatives into carrying out the attack. Two suspects are said to be from Belarus and one from Ukraine.
Two have been arrested, allegedly while preparing to carry out similar attacks in Germany, according to DIICOT.
The third suspect remains at large and is believed to be in Poland. European authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on Monday.
Romanian investigators believe that prior to the Brasov fire, the suspects instigated similar incidents which were also coordinated by Russia.
According to the Romanian Intelligence Service, the sabotage operations aim to intimidate and undermine the defense capabilities of affected states, and weaken their contributions to European and regional security.
The attacks join a string of similar incidents across Europe that authorities believe were instigated by Russian operatives.
Lithuanian forces thwarted Russian attempts to burn down Starlink satellite communications equipment on Oct. 18. A similar incident happened in Poland less than a month prior. In August, an arson attack against a defense contractor in Tallinn was likely caused by Russian sabotage operations, Estonian officials said.
Experts warn that the increase in Russian hybrid attacks is a way for Russia to test how far it can push NATO and Europe — probing the limits of NATO security and sowing chaos without triggering all-out war.
Romania, which borders Ukraine, has also been affected directly by Russia's full-scale invasion, particularly by drone activity in the Black Sea. A civilian cargo ship sank on Oct. 23 after a series of Russian strikes.
