Romania's intelligence service says it has uncovered a sabotage network coordinated from Russia that was involved in a fire near a state-owned weapons manufacturer, raising fresh concerns about suspected attacks on defence infrastructure across Europe.
The Romanian Intelligence Service, known as SRI, announced on Monday, October 26, that its investigation had identified a network linked to a fire on September 14 at the CARFIL industrial complex in Brașov, central Romania.
The fire occurred close to CARFIL SA, a subsidiary of Romania's state-owned defence company ROMARM.
According to Romanian authorities, the investigation identified three suspects — two Belarusian nationals and one Ukrainian national — believed to have participated in the operation.
Romanian organised crime prosecutors said the two Belarusian suspects had been arrested in Germany, where they were allegedly preparing similar acts of sabotage.
The third suspect was located in Poland.
Authorities have initiated procedures seeking the suspects' extradition to Romania.
The intelligence service said its findings indicated that the alleged network's activities extended beyond Romanian territory.
Investigators believe its coordinators assigned targets that included state-owned and private weapons manufacturers, alongside other military and industrial facilities across Europe.
Romania's intelligence service described the operation as part of a wider campaign of suspected Russian-directed sabotage against European countries.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and the three suspects have not been convicted.
Russia has repeatedly denied accusations that it is conducting sabotage operations against European countries. Its embassy in Bucharest was not immediately available for comment when Reuters sought a response.
Romania is a member of both NATO and the European Union and shares a border with Ukraine, making its military infrastructure particularly important to regional security.
The country has previously reported suspected sabotage plots, cyberattacks and other security incidents that authorities have linked to Russia's broader confrontation with countries supporting Ukraine.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan has warned that the country faces growing threats involving sabotage, disinformation and attacks on critical infrastructure.
The latest investigation also involves cooperation between Romanian authorities and security agencies in other European countries.
The intelligence service warned that suspected sabotage networks sometimes recruit individuals through social media, initially offering payments for apparently minor assignments before directing them towards more serious activities.
However, authorities have not publicly established that every method described in that warning was used by the three suspects in the CARFIL investigation.
The investigation remains ongoing.
For European security officials, the case adds to concerns about the vulnerability of defence manufacturing facilities and the challenges of preventing suspected cross-border sabotage operations.
