Three suspects allegedly planned an arson attack on the Slovak factory of Ukrainian drone producer Skyeton. A Latvian suspect was detained in Germany, while two others were held in Slovakia. Skyeton suggested Russia was behind the plot.
The alleged plot highlights ongoing security concerns for defense manufacturers supporting Ukraine and suggests potential foreign state involvement in disrupting critical supply chains.
Three suspects allegedly planned an arson attack on the Slovak facility of drone maker Skyeton, the Slovak prosecution announced. The company produces intelligence gathering and targeting drones and has a factory in eastern Slovakia.
A spokesman for the regional prosecution office in Presov confirmed the attack was intended for Skyeton's factory. A German prosecutor stated that a 26-year-old Latvian national was detained in Hamburg in connection with the case, with extradition proceedings underway. Slovak authorities had previously detained two other suspects, identified as a Latvian and a Ukrainian.
During a raid, Slovak police reportedly found an incendiary mixture and a plan for the attack. They indicated the suspects acted on commission, but did not name the party suspected of ordering the operation. Skyeton, according to the Slovak news website dennikn.sk, suggested Russia was behind the attack, citing its sister operation in Ukraine and stating that Ukrainian defense producers are a 'thorn in the Russians' side'.
Skyeton's Slovak site was producing for Western markets, while its Ukrainian facility supplied the Ukrainian army. Slovak Defence Minister Robert Kalinak was quoted as saying the Slovak site had no licenses to export to the east. A court in Presov ruled that the two suspects detained in Slovakia would remain in custody during the investigation. A group calling itself "Global Citizens Against War 1984" claimed responsibility for the attack, while the Russian embassy dismissed Skyeton's claim as baseless.
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