Poland has opened a “terrorism” investigation into a fire at a factory producing drone components for Ukraine. The Polish National Prosecutor's Office announced the decision on Monday, without providing details, but Russia is widely suspected of conducting sabotage campaigns across Europe targeting facilities supplying weapons to Ukraine.
According to a prosecutor's statement, the investigation was launched to examine the act of “participating in the activities of a foreign intelligence agency against the Republic of Poland and the crime of terrorism, including deliberately starting a fire at the WB Electronics plant using a device containing flammable materials.”
The WB Electronics plant in Skarzysko-Kamienna, south of the capital Warsaw, was reported to have caught fire shortly after midnight. The facility specializes in producing key components for drones supplied to the Polish and Ukrainian armies.
Firefighters took two hours to bring the blaze under control. Poland's Internal Security Agency is assisting police in the investigation, according to officials. The agency's spokesperson said on social media that details could not be released to the public “due to the specific and secret nature” of the case.
WB Electronics is one of Poland's largest private defense companies, specializing in loitering munitions, drones, fire control systems, and military communication tools and platforms. The Ukrainian military uses FlyEye and Warmate drones.
Several European countries supporting Ukraine have recently reported incidents believed to be Russian sabotage. In August, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that a Russian citizen had been detained “for being recruited by Russian intelligence to carry out an assassination in Warsaw.” Earlier that month, an unexploded drone was found at an airport in Germany.
Poland has increased security spending and military capabilities due to concerns over attacks from Russia. WB Electronics is a key supplier to the Polish military.
