Romanian intelligence accuses two Belarusians and a Ukrainian of attempting to set fire to an arms plant in Brașov

Romania's domestic intelligence service SRI has said it uncovered a sabotage network coordinated from Russia. According to the service, on 14 September the network tried to set fire to the Carfil plant in Brașov. The suspects include two citizens of Belarus and one citizen of Ukraine.

The case was prompted by a fire at an industrial site next to the defence-related Carfil SA plant. It broke out on 14 September.

Carfil is part of the state-owned company CN ROMARM.

Moscow consistently rejects accusations of organising sabotage in Europe.

Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, DIICOT, considers the fire an act of sabotage. According to its statement, the investigation established that the three defendants were involved in an attempted act of sabotage at facilities in Romania. The suspects were under surveillance by officers of DIICOT and the organised crime directorate, with the support of the SRI.

Two of the suspects, according to DIICOT, were arrested in absentia in Germany, and the third in Poland. All three lived in European Union countries.

According to the SRI, the Ukrainian and the two Belarusians acted as part of a network run from Russia. The service said the targets were defence enterprises and sites where Ukrainian troops are trained. In its words, the coordinators drew up a long list of targets for the group in the region: "Coordinators from the Russian Federation drew up an extensive list of targets for the group in the region: state and private weapons manufacturers, as well as other facilities of military and industrial interest."

Investigators believe the group was preparing similar attacks in other EU countries.

Bucharest is seeking the suspects' extradition to Romania.