Latvian suspect claims Telegram hire for arson at Slovak drone plant
A Latvian man arrested near a Slovak drone factory told investigators he was recruited via Telegram to set the site ablaze.
Investigators allege that a Latvian man arrested near Skyeton's drone factory in Presov, Slovakia, was hired through the Telegram app to carry out an arson attack. He reported that unknown recruiters provided the plant’s coordinates only a day before the planned blaze and that he communicated with multiple handlers, one of whom spoke Russian. Police also apprehended a Ukrainian accomplice tasked with driving the suspect to Poland, and later detained additional Latvian and Ukrainian suspects in Germany and Slovakia.
The self-styled group Global Citizens Against War 1984 asserted responsibility and demanded the release of two detained activists, though the Slovak Interior Ministry offered no comment. The Russian embassy in Slovakia rejected any role, and Russia has repeatedly denied involvement in sabotage incidents across Europe.
Why it matters
The case highlights growing concerns over remote recruitment for sabotage of critical technology sites amid the Ukraine war.
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