Romanian authorities say they have uncovered a network “coordinated” by Russia that they believe was responsible for a fire at an industrial site near a state-owned weapons factory in September.
asserted
they → say → September
Romania’s Intelligence Service said on Monday that the blaze in the central city of Brasov on September 14 was “part of a wider campaign of sabotage operations coordinated” by Russia amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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blaze → say → Ukraine
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tankers → say → coast
The agency said the operations were aimed at arms manufacturers and “other targets of military and industrial interest”.
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operations → say → interest
“These actions are intended to intimidate, undermine defence capabilities and weaken the contribution of the targeted states to European and regional security,” it said in a statement.
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it → intend → statement
Moscow has previously repeatedly denied such accusations.
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Moscow → deny → accusations
Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, known as DIICOT, said three people had been involved in the Brasov fire – two Belarusians and a Ukrainian, all living in European Union countries.
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all → investigate → countries
Two were “tracked down and remanded in custody in Germany while they were preparing to commit similar offenses”, the directorate said.
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directorate → track → offenses
The third remains at large in Poland.
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third → remain → Poland
According to Romania’s Intelligence Service, recruits for such networks are often found on social media and are first offered money “for a seemingly harmless task”, such as “observing or photographing certain targets”.
uncertain
recruits → accord → targets
Over time, “the tasks become increasingly serious, potentially involving acts of vandalism, arson or even murder”, it said.
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it → become → vandalism
‘Hybrid’ war
Romania, a member of the EU and NATO, shares a border of more than 600km with Ukraine.
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Romania → share → Ukraine
Its centrist president, Nicusor 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.
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Russia → say → airspace
Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu said the fire in Brasov was “part of a broader campaign of sabotage across Europe” targeting military production.
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fire → say → 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.
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explosions → hold → country
Both sites are operated by the Bulgarian arms maker EMCO, whose munitions are used in Ukraine.
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munitions → operate → Ukraine
That same month, firebombs were thrown near the offices of a defence company in Munich, and Romanian authorities said they had detained a Russian citizen accused of filming and photographing military sites in preparation for sabotage.
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they → throw → sabotage
In August, a blast struck an ammunition factory near Rome in Italy operated by the arms maker KNDS.
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blast → strike → maker
At sea, at least eight cargo ships have been hit off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria over the past three weeks, and about 34 sailors have been reported dead or missing.
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sailors → hit → weeks
Dan, the Romanian president, has called the attacks on ships in Romanian waters “a new example of the tragic consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine”.
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Dan → call → Ukraine
A year ago, Poland and Romania also detained eight people suspected of taking part in a Russian plot to send exploding parcels to Ukraine.
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Poland → detain → Ukraine
The Aporia
