Czech police arrest 3 over arson at drone warehouse supplying Ukraine
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PRAGUE (AP) — Police in the Czech Republic said Tuesday three suspects have been arrested after a fire destroyed the warehouse of a company supplying autonomous drones to Ukraine.
The fire is being investigated as suspected arson linked to terrorism, police said.
Two of the suspects were arrested on Czech territory, but the third was detained in neighboring Slovakia. Czech authorities are now seeking the suspect’s extradition.
They face charges of terrorist attack and participation in a terrorist group.
The suspects are Czech and U.S. nationals, police said without offering any more details.
“We continue to work intensively to apprehend the remaining suspects, also in cooperation with foreign partners,” they said.
The fire broke out in an industrial zone in the city of Pardubice, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Prague, destroying the warehouse building but causing no injuries, police said.
LPP Holding confirmed a fire in one of its buildings and said it was cooperating with the investigation.
The company develops and makes products for civilian and military use, such as drone autonomous technologies used by Ukraine’s armed forces in the fight against the Russian invasion.
Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar said the incident may be related to a terrorist attack and the Czech side was sharing details of the investigation with its foreign partners
Top police officer Martin Vondrášek said police assumed the fire was arson. The blaze was extinguished by firefighters, and police said there was no danger to the public.
LPP Holding had previously said it was planning to open a center in Pardubice to develop and produce drones and train personnel in cooperation with Israeli Elbit Systems, a military technology company. However, after the attack it said the joint venture never came to fruition.
Arms manufacturers across the country have since boosted security measures.
LPP Holding said no arms were produced in the building that was attacked.
Unlike the previous pro-Western government, the new Czech government led by populist billionaire Andrej Babiš has rejected any financial aid for Ukraine and guarantees for European Union loans to the country fighting Russia’s invasion. The Czechs join the ranks of Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia, who have led the opposition to EU backing for Ukraine.
However, popular support for Ukraine remains high.
