Polish PM says fire at defence manufacturer was arson, with sabotage probe under way
A fire at a defence manufacturing plant in south-central Poland has been described by Prime Minister Donald Tusk as deliberate arson. The blaze broke out at WB Group's production site in Skarżysko-Kamienna in the early hours of Monday and was extinguished after about two hours by local fire crews. Polish police and the Internal Security Agency are investigating the incident.
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Mr Tusk said there was "no doubt" that the fire at the Skarżysko-Kamienna plant was an act of sabotage. He made the comments before a cabinet meeting in Warsaw on Tuesday, linking the case to another recent fire at a factory in Lublin. In that case, he said investigators did not have similar evidence of deliberate arson, although he said it could not be ruled out given the nature of the production.
No injuries were reported in either incident, and both factories were closed when the fires broke out. WB Group produces components for drone systems, and the company says it began producing reconnaissance drones in Ukraine last year. The Lublin fire damaged the warehouse of JFG Composites, a company that makes components for the aviation industry.
The case comes amid heightened concern in Poland and across parts of Europe about suspected sabotage linked to the wider security environment since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Polish authorities have previously accused Russian intelligence networks of orchestrating sabotage attacks on Polish soil, including a fire at a shopping centre outside Warsaw in 2024 and an explosion that damaged a railway line in central-east Poland last November. Russia has denied involvement in those earlier allegations.
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Mr Tusk also referred to what he called very disturbing incidents in Poland and Germany in recent days, saying they formed part of Russia's escalation efforts in the region. His remarks followed separate accusations by the German government over an explosive-laden drone incident at Leipzig airport in August, which has added to wider European concern about hybrid threats and infrastructure security. The Polish government has not yet said who it believes may be behind the Skarżysko-Kamienna fire.
What remains unclear is how the fire started, whether it was connected to any wider network, and whether the Lublin incident will also be treated as sabotage. Investigators have not publicly identified any suspects or given a timeline for their findings. The case is likely to remain under close watch because it involves a defence-related manufacturer and comes at a time of heightened regional tension.
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