Poland investigates drone-factory fire as terrorism with an alleged Russian link

Poland is investigating a fire that destroyed part of a defense drone factory as a possible terrorist crime, while a senior official said the alleged Russian connection was “evident.”

The fire broke out shortly after midnight Monday at the WB Electronics complex in Skarżysko-Kamienna, in southern Poland. Deputy Interior and Administration Minister Czesław Mroczek said security cameras recorded a masked person entering the site and installing an explosive device containing flammable material.

The blaze completely destroyed a storage and production building. The factory was closed and empty at the time, so no one was injured. Prosecutors estimate the losses at a minimum of 4 million euros.

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The connection is evident.

Mroczek said Poland and other European countries supporting Ukraine had faced acts of sabotage in recent years. “We have been dealing with acts of sabotage for several years, not only in our country, but throughout Europe, mainly in countries that support Ukraine, with the aim of preventing these societies and countries from supporting it,” he told RMF FM. He added that “the Kremlin’s connection” to the factory fire was “evident.”

The National Prosecutor’s Office is conducting the investigation with Poland’s Internal Security Agency and Military Counterintelligence Service. WB Electronics belongs to WB Group, a major Polish private defense company that develops drones, command systems, radios and loitering munitions, including the Warmate family. The company had planned to present new products, including the Gladius II system, at the MSPO international arms fair in Kielce. The investigation follows recent arrests in Poland involving alleged plots linked by the government to Russian sabotage and covert activity.

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We have been dealing with acts of sabotage for several years, not only in our country, but throughout Europe, mainly in countries that support Ukraine, with the aim of preventing these societies and countries from supporting it.