Factory explosions in Europe tied to Ukraine arms supplies VIDEO

Factories in Europe that caught fire or were hit by explosions this week, including KNDS in Italy and EMCO in Bulgaria, are linked to the supply of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, Strana.ua reports.

EMCO produces Soviet-standard ammunition, including 122mm and 152mm artillery shells, rockets for Grad multiple-launch rocket systems, 60mm, 82mm and 120mm mortar rounds, and grenade-launcher ammunition. The company also repairs and modernises light armoured vehicles.

The Italian unit of the Franco-German defence consortium KNDS produces ammunition, including NATO-standard 155mm shells, for European armed forces and supplies to Ukraine. It also supplies the Ukrainian armed forces with CAESAR and PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers, Leopard 1 and 2 tanks, Gepard anti-aircraft systems and AMX-10 RC armoured vehicles.

KNDS has also established a subsidiary, KNDS Ukraine, in Kyiv, which carries out maintenance and repairs of Western military equipment in Ukraine and works on the localisation of ammunition production.

On August 10, a fire followed by explosions occurred at an ammunition factory in the village of Belitsa near Bulgaria’s Tryavna, local authorities said. A truck caught fire at the facility, triggering explosions at warehouses. No casualties or injuries were reported.

On August 13, one person was killed and several others injured in an explosion at a site in the Port of Rotterdam, Dutch police said.

The blast occurred shortly after midday at a company on Moezelweg in Europoort, where a contracted maintenance team was working on pipelines. Several injured people were taken to hospital.

Authorities said they were investigating the cause and had not determined whether the incident was linked to a power outage and fire at the nearby Esso refinery earlier that day.

By Aghakazim Guliyev