Poland remands Ukrainian suspect over Romania arms-factory sabotage
A Warsaw court held a 25-year-old Ukrainian man, named only as Artem S., for seven days over suspected sabotage at Romania's Carfil arms plant.
Update ·
Poland remands the Ukrainian suspect, named as Artem S., for 7 days over the Carfil arson after he refused extradition to Romania.
All 2 updates ↓Also in:Polski
A Warsaw court on Wednesday ordered a 25-year-old Ukrainian man held for seven days over suspected involvement in sabotage at Romania's Carfil arms factory, Poland's interior ministry and prosecutors said. The man, identified only as Artem S. in line with Polish privacy rules, had been sought under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Romania.
Poland's Central Investigation Bureau detained the man in Warsaw, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said. He is suspected of taking part in preparing a sabotage attack that set fire to the arms factory on 14 September 2026, Kierwiński said.
The Warsaw District Court ordered the temporary arrest after Artem S. refused to consent to extradition to Romania, the city's district prosecutor's office said on 28 October. He has retained his own lawyer, prosecutors added. Police spokesman Krzysztof Wrześniowski said the man had been living in the Ursus district of Warsaw before his detention.
Two Belarusian men have separately been arrested in Germany at Romania's request over the same case, also suspected of carrying out the Carfil sabotage on Russia's orders, according to the Warsaw prosecutors' statement. All three suspects are wanted by Romanian authorities rather than being held in Romanian custody.
Romania's intelligence service, SRI, says the suspects belong to a sabotage network coordinated from Russia and made up of citizens of former Soviet states living in EU countries, assigned to target arms factories and military sites in the region. Romanian prosecutors have issued European arrest warrants for all three suspects and requested their extradition, a process that can take weeks to resolve through the Polish and German courts.
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What we know
- A Warsaw court ordered a 25-year-old Ukrainian man, named only as Artem S., held for seven days over suspected sabotage at Romania's Carfil arms factory.
- He was detained by Poland's Central Investigation Bureau and is sought under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Romania; he has refused extradition.
- Poland's interior minister said he is suspected of helping prepare the 14 September fire at the factory.
- Two Belarusian men have separately been arrested in Germany over the same case, also suspected of acting on Russia's orders, Warsaw prosecutors said.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Claims in this story
Claims tracker →- UnverifiedRomania's domestic intelligence service· 28 Oct 2026
Romania's domestic intelligence service linked a sabotage attempt at the Carfil arms factory in Brașov to a network coordinated from Russia.
Why it matters for Europe
The case adds detail to a Russia-linked sabotage investigation that Romanian officials, including President Nicusor Dan, have called a grave breach of the country's sovereignty. It also shows European police forces now coordinating arrests across borders, with suspects held in both Poland and Germany at Romania's request over a single attack on a NATO member's defence industry, highlighting how extradition under a European Arrest Warrant can still take time even between EU allies.
Live updates
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Poland remands the Ukrainian suspect, named as Artem S., for 7 days over the Carfil arson after he refused extradition to Romania.
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Warsaw court orders seven days' detention of suspect wanted over Romania arms-factory sabotage, Polish prosecutors say.
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Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 3 countries.
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Questions and answers
- Who was detained in Poland?
- A 25-year-old Ukrainian man, identified only as Artem S., who prosecutors say was living in Warsaw's Ursus district.
- What is he suspected of?
- Taking part in preparing sabotage that set fire to Romania's Carfil arms factory on 14 September, Polish officials said.
- Is this linked to the Carfil factory fire?
- Yes. Romania has blamed a Russia-coordinated network for the fire, and two Belarusian men have also been arrested in Germany over the same case.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.