Slovak police detained three foreign nationals on Aug. 25 over an alleged plot to set fire to a Ukrainian-owned Skyeton factory producing advanced surveillance drones, according to a company representative.
“The Russians regularly attempt to attack both our production facilities in Ukraine and our reputation. The recent attempted attack on our facility in Slovakia is further proof that Ukrainian defense manufacturers have become a real thorn in their side, and that we are on the right path,” the representative said, the Kyiv Independent reported.
“We thank all the relevant authorities and police officers who helped prevent the attack and apprehend those involved.”
The incident marks one of the first known attempts to target a military equipment manufacturer in Slovakia, according to Dennik N.
Two suspects were detained in Slovakia, while a third was arrested in Germany under a European arrest warrant. Slovak police did not disclose the nationalities of the detained individuals in its statement.
The alleged plotters’ actions could have sparked a “large-scale fire” at the facility, where about 70 people were present at the time and property was valued at “tens of millions of euros,” police said.
Police seized an incendiary mixture of gasoline and polystyrene — a homemade form of napalm — along with tools, cell phones, an action camera and a hand-drawn map of the facility they allegedly planned to set on fire.