Romania: President blames Moscow for weapons plant fire attempt

Three suspects face charges in connection with an attempted arson attack on the Carfil weapons plant in Brașov. The Romanian Intelligence Service identified a sabotage network coordinated from Russia that was involved in the incident, which occurred on September 14. A Ukrainian citizen and two Belarusians are currently suspected in the case.

President Nicușor Dan condemned the Russian Federation's involvement in acts of sabotage on Romanian territory. He stated that such actions constitute a serious violation of the country's sovereignty and security. Dan emphasized that no foreign state has the right to act in such a manner on the territory of Romania or other European countries.

"For years, Russia has been using a diverse arsenal of tools to weaken European democracies," Dan said in a post on X. He listed attempts to influence electoral processes, disinformation campaigns, information warfare, cyberattacks, and acts of sabotage as parts of the hybrid war Russia is waging against Europe.

The president commended the effectiveness of Romanian intelligence services in uncovering the network. He noted that Romania will act decisively to prevent similar incidents and identify those involved. The goal is to protect the citizens and critical infrastructure of the country.

Dan confirmed that Romania will continue to cooperate closely with NATO allies and European Union partners. This follows his previous observations regarding an increase in the number of Russian provocations on the territory of the European Union. The Romanian government treats the incident as part of a wider pattern of activity by Moscow.