Possible Sabotage Probed After Fire at Polish Drone Factory Used by Ukraine

A fire broke out overnight at a Polish defense plant producing components for drones used by the Ukrainian and Polish militaries, with surveillance cameras reportedly capturing a masked person entering the facility shortly before the blaze. The fire started at around 12:23 a.m. on Aug. 31 at a WB Electronics plant in Skarżysko-Kamienna, southern Poland, according to Polish media.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. At roughly the same time, a security company monitoring the site alerted police after an intrusion alarm was triggered. Firefighters described the blaze as small, while police said the factory was not operating when the fire started. No injuries were reported. But investigators are examining signs that the fire may have been deliberate. A backpack and sweatshirt were found near the facility and could have belonged to the person involved, according to reports. Surveillance footage also reportedly showed an unidentified individual wearing a balaclava entering the plant by climbing over a fence. Poland’s Internal Security Agency, ABW, is now investigating whether the incident was an act of sabotage. “ABW officers are working to establish whether we can speak of an act of sabotage,” Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesman for Poland’s security services coordinator, said. Drone maker supplying Ukraine WB Electronics is Poland’s largest privately owned defense company and manufactures the FlyEye and Warmate unmanned aerial systems, both of which are used by Ukrainian forces. Other Topics of Interest Poland Joins US Drone-Warfare Drills Built on Ukraine’s Battlefield Lessons Poland becomes the first NATO ally to join a US special-forces exercise adapted from Ukraine’s battlefield experience. The Skarżysko-Kamienna facility produces composite structures and control systems for drones. The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of security around European defense facilities supporting Ukraine. On Aug. 13, an explosion and fire struck an ammunition plant near Rome operated by KNDS Ammo Italy, a company that cooperates with Ukraine. No one was injured in that incident. Poland has emerged as one of Ukraine’s key defense partners since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, while Polish and European authorities have repeatedly warned of the threat posed by Russian sabotage and espionage operations. The cause of Monday’s fire has not yet been established, and authorities have not publicly identified any suspect or linked the incident to Russia. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.