Polish special services have detained two Polish citizens - a 23-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man - on suspicion of aiding and abetting the arson of a production workshop of the defense company LPP Holding in Pardubice, Czech Republic; the court has remanded them in custody, UNN reports with reference to Polish Radio.
Details
Poland's Internal Security Agency detained two Polish citizens in Warsaw suspected of aiding and abetting arson in the Czech Republic, said Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesman for the Minister-Coordinator of Special Services of Poland. Both have already been charged.
The ABW reported on Thursday that the incident concerned a fire on March 20, 2026, in the Czech city of Pardubice. It occurred in the production workshop of the defense sector company LPP Holding, which cooperates with the Israeli concern Elbit Systems in the field of drone production.
Fire breaks out at a Czech company producing drones for Ukraine21.03.26, 13:44
"As a result of the incident, a fire occurred, which caused significant damage to industrial infrastructure and valuable property," the ABW reported.
The agency also noted that the extremist organization The Earthquake Faction claimed responsibility for the arson, stating ideological motives and an intention to influence the activities of states and companies cooperating with the Israeli defense industry.
According to Dobrzyński, in connection with this case, 23-year-old Polish citizen Aleksandra Ż. and 22-year-old Polish citizen Filip B. were detained. The arrests took place on March 24 and 26.
The prosecutor's office reported that the detainees were charged with aiding and abetting the arson of a production workshop of a defense enterprise in Pardubice. "This crime had a terrorist character and was aimed at intimidating a large number of people and forcing the authorities of the Czech Republic to certain actions or inactions," the investigators noted.
Such actions carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
The suspects pleaded not guilty and gave explanations. A court in Warsaw ordered their detention for three months.
Polish National Prosecutor's Office spokesman Przemysław Nowak emphasized that the case is at an initial stage, and the investigation is checking whether the suspects acted in the interests or on the instructions of foreign intelligence.
"Currently, there is no such accusation. It is about aiding and abetting a criminal offense - arson, but with signs of terrorism," he noted.
Addition
After the fire in Pardubice, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called on defense companies to strengthen security measures at their enterprises. He also admitted the possibility of linking license issuance to compliance with security requirements.
Czech Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar stated that the fire could be related to terrorism.
On March 24, Czech police reported the detention of three individuals in this case - a Czech citizen, a US citizen, and a foreigner who was in Slovakia. They were charged with a terrorist attack and participation in a terrorist group.