An attempt was made to set fire to the building of a military drone manufacturer in Estonia: suspects detained, GRU involvement suspected

An attempt was made near Tallinn to set fire to the building of a military drone manufacturer. Estonia’s authorities blamed Russian intelligence for the incident, UNN reports, citing ERR.

Details

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Estonia reported that an attempt was made to set fire to the building of the defense industry company Threod, located in Viimsi Parish, overnight on Saturday. The Internal Security Service (Kapo), in cooperation with the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), detained eight residents of Latvia; the prosecutor’s office requested the arrest of five of them.

At around 3:00 a.m. between Friday and Saturday, an attack was carried out against the Threod defense company’s building in Viimsi—the perpetrators attempted to set it on fire. Prosecutor General Astrid Asi said the attack was thwarted thanks to the intervention of Threod’s own security service.

The Director General of the Internal Security Service, Margo Palloson, said that counterintelligence had confirmed Russia’s involvement in the attempted attack, which was coordinated by Russian military intelligence—the GRU. "This was another attempt by Russia to carry out sabotage in Estonia," Palloson said.

The company did not sustain significant damage. The company’s adequate level of preparedness and the security guard’s prompt actions played a decisive role in preventing more serious consequences.

There were no injuries. Palloson noted that although Threod’s building sustained noticeable damage, the company’s production capacity and ability to make deliveries remained unchanged.

According to Palloson, the perpetrators attempted to break the building’s windows and pour flammable liquids inside in order to cause a fire and explosion. "According to our assessment, if the attack had succeeded in the form planned by its perpetrators, the company would have suffered very serious damage," he said.

We would add

The Internal Security Service (Kaitsepolitseiamet), in cooperation with the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), detained eight suspects. All of them are residents of Latvia, although it is currently unknown whether they are also citizens of that country. Asi said the investigation was being conducted under an article of the Criminal Code concerning acts directed against the security of the Republic of Estonia, committed on the instructions of a representative of a foreign intelligence or security service—in particular, the collection of information or causing damage.

Michal instructed officials to prepare the necessary measures for the possible closure of the Estonian-Russian border.

"The prosecutor’s office petitioned the court for the arrest of five suspects. The purpose of the criminal proceedings is to establish the circumstances surrounding the organization of the attack, the role of each participant, and any possible links to other individuals," Asi said, adding that the list of suspects could change during the investigation.

Asi noted that the suspects are people of different backgrounds, including both young people and middle-aged individuals. According to preliminary data, this was a "contract crime": the individuals came to Estonia specifically to carry out the assignment, he added.

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According to Asi, the information collected as part of the criminal proceedings currently confirms the theory that Russian special services are behind the attempted attack. The initial investigative actions at the site in Viimsi were carried out on Saturday, immediately after the incident.

Palloson noted that Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) and the Latvian prosecutor’s office made a significant contribution to the investigation, helping to quickly establish the circumstances of the case.

According to Estonia’s Internal Security Service (Kaitsepolitseiamet), defense industry companies—in Estonia and Europe as a whole—are of interest to Russian special services. The purpose of such attacks is to sow fear among the public and business representatives, disrupt and weaken the production and technological development of defense companies, and hinder the supply of their products and technologies to Ukraine.

Pallósson emphasized that one of the methods used by Russian military intelligence (the GRU) is recruiting residents of the European Union (who have the right to move freely within the Schengen Area) to carry out violent attacks and acts of sabotage. Operatives are often sought in criminal circles or among people who have found themselves in difficult socioeconomic circumstances.

The Prosecutor General’s Office provides procedural supervision, while the investigation is conducted by the Estonian Internal Security Service.

Among other products, Threod manufactures both long-range reconnaissance drones and attack drones.