Fire at Berlin arms factory likely Russian sabotage, say investigators
Deutsche Welle reports that, according to German investigators, the fire at the Diehl arms factory in Berlin, which produces weapons including those for Ukraine, was likely an act of Russian sabotage.
6:03 AM EDT, June 25, 2024
In May, a fire occurred at the Diehl Metal Applications factory on the outskirts of Berlin. The initial and most plausible cause was an accident. However, German law enforcement suspects that Russian saboteurs are responsible for the fire. Their motive is believed to be disrupting the supply of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. The factory produces IRIS-T air defense systems, which protect Ukrainian cities from Russian attacks.
The company announced that the cause of the fire was a technical issue, according to the insurer's report. However, a Diehl representative stated that "theoretically" the technical issue could have resulted from a sabotage action.
German police have launched an investigation. Investigators say that no possible cause can be ruled out. The fire likely originated in an area accessible to few employees. Furthermore, the fire destroyed all video recordings.
Is there evidence of Russia's involvement?
"In the case of the Diehl factory, electronic communication was intercepted that supposedly provided proof of Russian sabotage. However, according to DW, the court did not consider this as evidence in the case, which prevents a definitive accusation," say two German investigators. The intercepted information allegedly leaked to the German government through intelligence from one of NATO's allies.
One of the investigators noted that, in light of recent events, many incidents classified as accidents should be reconsidered from the perspective of sabotage.
The attack was carried out by "experienced professionals," reported the "Wall Street Journal," citing investigators' statements. According to these reports, Russia had recruited civilians, mainly with criminal backgrounds, through social media platforms such as Telegram. They were paid in cryptocurrencies for their work.
European authorities had refrained from publicly accusing Moscow for fear of escalating the conflict. However, privately, intelligence officials claim that Russia is targeting civilian and military facilities in Europe, as well as people involved in efforts to assist Ukraine, according to DW.
