A blast at a strategic defence facility has revived questions about foreign interference, while officials point to an explanation closer to home.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said that the country’s authorities have found no signs of possible Russian involvement in the explosion at an ammunition plant in Colleferro, southeast of Rome.
The explosion occurred last Thursday at the KNDS Ammo Italy facility. The plant is part of the Franco-German defence group KNDS. The causes of the incident are being established as part of an investigation.
There is no indication that this could be anything other than an internal issue.
– Guido Crosetto
Guido Crosetto thus dismissed theories of a possible Russian connection to the explosion. At the same time, the Italian government declined to comment on reports that the facility may have been producing ammunition for Ukraine.
What the KNDS Ammo Italy plant in Colleferro produces
The Colleferro facility produces medium- and large-calibre ammunition for land and naval defence systems. It also manufactures solid fuel for aerospace launch vehicles.
La Repubblica reported that prosecutors are examining a possible link between the explosion in Colleferro and similar incidents at ammunition manufacturing facilities in Bulgaria. Investigators did not comment on the details of the review.
Explosion at a defence facility in Bulgaria
In 2022, an explosion occurred at a military plant in the Bulgarian city of Kazanlak. Three people were killed in the incident.
The investigation into the explosion at the KNDS Ammo Italy plant is ongoing, and Italian authorities currently regard the incident as an internal issue at the facility.