Russia Denies Romanian Allegations Over Factory Fire and Black Sea Attacks
The Russian Embassy in Romania rejected allegations on Tuesday linking Moscow to a September fire at a facility in Brasov, central Romania, as well as accusations concerning threats to commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
The embassy said Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lipaev was summoned to Romania’s Foreign Ministry, where he firmly denied the claims. He maintained that Russia had never planned, coordinated or carried out sabotage operations in Romania or any other foreign country.
The diplomatic mission described accusations against Russia over incidents involving Black Sea vessels as politically motivated. It blamed Ukraine and countries supplying it with weapons for creating threats to maritime security in the region.
According to the Russian embassy, Ukrainian forces had targeted more than 250 commercial vessels associated with Russian economic interests since the beginning of the year, resulting in the deaths of 28 sailors. The embassy claimed the ships were not transporting military cargo and criticised Western governments, including Romania, for allegedly failing to condemn the attacks.
Lipaev also urged Romanian authorities to reconsider their security policies, arguing that their alignment with NATO and European Union strategies was contributing to regional tensions rather than protecting the country.
Romanian authorities, meanwhile, said they had uncovered a suspected sabotage network allegedly directed from Russia. Investigators believe the group was responsible for a fire on September 14 near Carfil SA, a defence manufacturer in Brasov.
Three suspects have been identified: two Belarusian nationals and one Ukrainian citizen. Romanian authorities reported that two suspects were arrested in Germany while allegedly preparing further operations, while a European arrest warrant was issued for the third individual, who was located in Poland.
Romanian Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu described the incident as part of a broader campaign targeting defence production facilities across Europe. The allegations remain disputed, with Moscow firmly denying involvement.
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