--- title: "Romanian Intelligence Claims Exposure of Sabotage Network Coordinated by Russia" description: "Romanian intelligence announced the exposure of a sabotage network coordinated by Russia, which it says was linked to the Brașov fire near the Romarm plant and the preparation of attacks on military targets in the region." date: 2026-10-27T02:49:00.264Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/romanian-intelligence-exposes-russian-sabotage-network tags: [romania, sri, sabotage, russia, black-sea, drones] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Romanian Intelligence Claims Exposure of Sabotage Network Coordinated by Russia ![Romanian special forces operative in helmet and gear patrolling a street past police vehicles](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/27/rumaniya-razoblachila-diversionnuyu-set-rf/rumaniya-razoblachila-diversionnuyu-set-rf-1.webp) ## Key Points - The SRI announced the exposure of a sabotage network operating under Russian coordination. - Intelligence claims the network is linked to the September 14 fire in Brașov near CARFIL SA (a Romarm subsidiary). - DIICOT opened a criminal case against three foreigners residing in EU countries. - On October 17, Romanian F-16s shot down two drones over the Black Sea; on October 15, two chemical tankers caught fire in territorial waters. The Romanian Information Service (SRI) has announced the exposure of a sabotage network that, according to the agency, operated under Russian coordination. The intelligence service claims the network is linked to the September fire in Brașov near a facility of the state defense concern Romarm, as well as to preparations for strikes against Ukrainian military training centers and other targets in the region. ### Brașov Fire: Details of the Incident On the evening of September 14, a fire broke out at the Carfil industrial site in Brașov, next to the CARFIL SA enterprise—a subsidiary of the Romarm concern. The fire engulfed a building of about 1,000 square meters housing auto repair shops, a technical inspection station, and a car wash. According to the SRI, this incident was one of the episodes involving the exposed network. ### Criminal Case and List of Targets The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) has opened a criminal case against three foreigners residing in EU countries. According to the SRI, Russian coordinators designated targets for the network throughout the region: state and private arms enterprises, as well as other military and industrial facilities. This year in Romania, according to the same data, other sabotage attempts were also recorded—including against international military installations and Ukrainian military training centers. Intelligence characterizes the Brașov fire as part of a broader sabotage campaign that, it asserts, Russia is coordinating in Europe. The Romanian Ministry of Interior has reportedly stepped up security for critical infrastructure, defense plants, and major logistics warehouses. ### Escalation: Drones Over the Black Sea and Attacks on Tankers Pressure on Romania reportedly increased significantly in October. On October 17, Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two jet-powered strike drones that violated the country's airspace over the Black Sea approximately 120 km east of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island. Two days prior, on October 15, two chemical tankers caught fire in Romanian territorial waters following drone attacks; on the San Marino-flagged vessel Wine Trader, seven crew members went missing and five were rescued. On October 2, an object resembling a drone crashed near the village of Plauru in Tulcea County, sparking a fire. ### Context: Sabotage Activity in Europe According to The Wall Street Journal, Vladimir Putin ordered stepped-up sabotage activities against NATO countries; in August, a drone with explosives was reportedly discovered at Leipzig Airport near a Ukrainian An-124 aircraft. Romanian intelligence assesses these episodes as fitting into the overall pattern of the sabotage campaign in Europe. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Пожар возле оружейного завода в Румынии устроила сеть РФ, - разведка](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/pozhezhu-bilya-zbroyovogo-zavodu-rumuniyi-1793068968.html) - Basis origin: 09/14 fire in Brașov near CARFIL SA/Romarm, DIICOT case against three foreigners, SRI data on network targets, downed drones on 10/17, tanker fires on 10/15, object crash on 10/02, Leipzig episode per WSJ. Attribution of the network to Russia is an assessment by Romanian intelligence. ## FAQ ### What happened in Brașov on September 14? On the evening of September 14, a fire broke out at the Carfil industrial site near CARFIL SA (a Romarm subsidiary), covering about 1,000 sq. m of buildings housing repair shops, a tech inspection station, and a car wash. ### Who was exposed by the Romanian authorities? According to the SRI, a sabotage network operating under Russian coordination; DIICOT opened criminal proceedings against three foreigners residing in EU countries. ### What incidents occurred in Romania in October? On October 17, F-16s shot down two jet drones over the Black Sea; on October 15, two chemical tankers caught fire in territorial waters (seven crew missing on the Wine Trader, five rescued); on October 2, a drone-like object crashed in Tulcea County.