Estonia detains eight Latvian citizens who planned to set fire to a drone factory
Estonian security services have detained eight Latvian citizens who planned to set fire to a drone production facility belonging to Threod Systems. Estonia's Internal Security Service says the attack was ordered by Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU.
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Estonia's Internal Security Service (KaPo) has detained eight Latvian citizens who planned to set fire to a drone manufacturing facility. The company concerned is Threod Systems, which makes both long-range reconnaissance drones and attack drones. According to information held by the service, the attack was ordered by Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU.
KaPo Director General Margo Palloson said the information at the Internal Security Service's disposal indicates that the GRU commissioned the attack. He stressed that effective cross-border cooperation makes the Baltic states a difficult environment for hostile operations.
Role of Latvian institutions
Latvia's State Security Service (VDD) and the Latvian Prosecutor's Office also made a significant contribution to the investigation. They helped quickly establish the circumstances connected to the case.
Why a defence company was targeted
In KaPo's assessment, defence industry companies in Estonia and across Europe are within the sphere of interest of Russian special services. The aims of such attacks are to instil fear among the public and company owners, to disrupt defence firms' production and technological development, and to prevent their products and technologies from reaching Ukraine.
The service urged defence industry companies to follow the recommendations given to them and to actively improve both their physical security and their cybersecurity.
