British newspaper The Telegraph has drawn attention to a series of incidents at European defense industry facilities, citing unnamed Western intelligence sources who claim that Russian special services may have been behind some of them. The publication, however, provides no evidence supporting this version.

The article notes that all of the facilities mentioned manufacture military products, including equipment and ammunition supplied to Ukraine.

On the night of August 15, a fire broke out at a facility operated by Estonian company Milrem Robotics in Tallinn. The company supplies drones to Kiev. Latvian citizens were identified as suspects in the arson case, while a possible Russian link is also being examined. No evidence confirming that theory has been presented so far.

On August 10, a powerful explosion hit an EMCO facility in Bulgaria. The company is one of the country’s major weapons and ammunition manufacturers and produces shells supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

A similar incident occurred on August 13 at the KNDS Ammo Italy plant in Colleferro near Rome, where ammunition is manufactured. Company representatives said they did not consider the incident to have been caused deliberately.

In March 2026, a fire almost completely destroyed a Czech facility producing drones and thermal imaging equipment for Ukraine. Four people were detained during an investigation into a possible connection with Russia. At the same time, the pro-Palestinian group The Earthquake Faction claimed responsibility for setting fire to an industrial area in Pardubice.

According to The Telegraph, such sabotage operations are often allegedly carried out by local criminals recruited online and paid in cryptocurrency.

Western intelligence services cited by the newspaper believe this arrangement could allow Moscow to deny involvement while avoiding direct escalation with NATO.