A shocking large-scale explosion occurred at a medium and large-caliber ammunition production facility near Rome on August 13. Specifically, a large explosion occurred at the former Sammel Difesa factory, owned by KNDS Ammo Italy, which is part of the Franco-German group KNDS. Several fire crews are working on the scene, but extinguishing the fire remains difficult.
Rescuers believe that the incident occurred in the gunpowder pressing unit.
The KNDS group is one of the leading companies supplying artillery and ammunition for European military support to Ukraine. The KNDS Ammo Italy factory specializes in the production of ammunition for European ground defense, including manned and unmanned systems, according to the company’s website.
How is the KNDS Italia factory connected to the war in Ukraine?
KNDS Ammo Italy, the Italian ammunition arm of the Franco-German defense group KNDS, has expanded production capacity at several of its factories, including the one in Colleferro, following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The plant manufactures medium and large caliber ammunition, from 25 to 155 mm, including propellants, explosives, detonators, metal components, warheads and complete missiles for land, naval and air forces. It is also involved in the production of solid rocket fuels for aerospace launch vehicles.
The parent company is among Kiev’s key industrial partners, having supplied hundreds of systems, including Leopard main battle tanks and Caesar self-propelled guns, and opened a subsidiary in Ukraine in 2024 to support local repairs and jointly manufacture 155mm artillery shells.
The incident in Italy came shortly after an explosion rocked a Bulgarian ammunition factory owned by EMCO, another company with close defense ties to Ukraine.
The explosion at the factory, located near the village of Belitsa in Tryavna municipality, was reportedly caused by… a fire in a truck.
The case of the attack on a weapons factory in Tryavna, Bulgaria
It is noted that on August 10, an explosion occurred in an ammunition depot belonging to a weapons factory near the Bulgarian city of Tryavna, which supplies equipment to the Ukrainian army.
According to local authorities, the incident began with the ignition of projectiles in a truck. Then a shooting occurred and the flames spread to the arsenal building. At the moment, secondary explosions are continuing at the scene.
The explosion and fire occurred at the military factory. The area of the incident has been cordoned off, while the local population has received an emergency warning of danger. The secondary firing of ammunition at the facilities continues to this day.
Sabotage in the heart of Europe – Arson attack in France, at a factory producing drones for Ukraine – Spy arrested
We recall that in June, a dark thriller of espionage and sabotage unfolded in France, as the Delair company factory in the southwest of the country, which produces unmanned aerial vehicles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was the target of an attack.
According to official data from the Paris prosecutor’s office, security cameras recorded unknown people throwing Molotov cocktails at the building. By pure luck, the facilities were not seriously damaged, as the flammable mixture did not explode.
Shortly afterwards, France’s Directorate General for Internal Security arrested a man near the factory on charges of espionage. The arrested man, who comes from Belarus, was found filming a prototype of the company’s drone, while the prosecutor’s office clarified that he was sending the visual material to another link in Russia. He is currently in custody.
Russian death list: European factories targeted
The Russian Defense Ministry has revealed the exact addresses of European companies that manufacture drones and components for strikes on Russian soil. The list includes 11 branches of Ukrainian companies based in Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic.
Drones of the Lyuty, Anubis, Da Vinci, Bulava, Sticker, FP-1, FP-2, HaKi AK-1000, AQ-400 Kosa, Ruta and RAM-2X types are produced there.
At the same time, the addresses of ten factories in Germany, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Israel and Turkey that supply components were published.
Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev made it clear that the announcement should be taken literally: the disclosure of production sites in Europe constitutes a register of potential, legitimate targets for the Russian Armed Forces.
For its part, the European Commission declined to comment on Moscow’s disclosure of the addresses, with spokeswoman Anita Hipper simply stating that the EU does not intend to reinforce this message with details, remaining steadfast in its support for Ukraine and strengthening its own defense.
