Czechs looking into possible Russian trail in fire at defense factory

PRAGUE: Czech police ‌and defense company LPP, which produces drones for Ukraine, are investigating a fire at a factory in the ​city of Pardubice for possible links to Russian interests, LPP said on Monday. Police are treating Friday’s incident as a deliberate attack after Czech media outlets received emails from a group that protested the manufacturing of weapons for Israel, claiming responsibility for the ‌blaze.
The fire, which ‌occurred on Friday, damaged ​production facilities ‌and ⁠stored ​products at ⁠the site, located 120 km (75 miles) east of Prague, but did not disrupt the planned delivery of 40 attack drones to Ukraine, LPP said.
“Although an anti-Israel group has claimed responsibility for the attack, we, together with ⁠the police, are also examining other ‌possible motives, including a ‌potential Russian link,” LPP said ​in a statement ‌on Monday, reiterating information reported earlier by Czech ‌news outlet Odkryto. LPP said that it does not produce equipment for Israel, and has no cooperation with Israeli defense company Elbit Systems, after plans for ‌cooperation that were announced in 2023 never came to fruition.
Czech daily Mlada ⁠Fronta ⁠Dnes cited sources as saying that according to preliminary information LPP’s drone production for Ukraine would have been the actual target of the attack, disguised as an anti-Israel action.
Police have said they are looking into various possible motives, but declined to comment on the possible Russia link. Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, has routinely denied previous accusations ​of hybrid attacks ​in EU countries as baseless and driven by Russophobia.