Arrests widen in Czech drone factory arson case as Bulgaria detains suspect

Czech authorities have expanded their investigation into last month’s arson attack on an optics and drone production facility in Pardubice, with two additional suspects arrested, including one detained in Bulgaria, as the case increasingly draws in multiple countries and competing lines of inquiry.

The latest arrests at the end of last week, announced by Czech police and prosecutors, bring the number of detainees linked to the 20 March fire significantly higher after a series of earlier operations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. One of the newly identified suspects was arrested in Bulgaria, and Prague is expected to seek his extradition. There has been no official comment so far from the Bulgarian authorities regarding the arrest carried out on their territory.

The fire struck a building in an industrial complex about 120 kilometres east of Prague used by Czech defence group LPP Holding. The company manufactures optics and drones, including systems exported to Ukraine, and said the blaze damaged production halls and stored goods but did not prevent a planned shipment of 40 assault drones to Kyiv.

A previously unknown pro-Palestinian activist group claimed responsibility online, saying it had targeted the company over what it alleged was weapons development for Israel. The group described the site as a “key production centre” and framed the attack as an attempt to halt its role in what it called the “genocide in Gaza”.

LPP has repeatedly rejected that claim. The company acknowledged that in 2023 it announced plans to explore cooperation with Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, but stressed that those plans were never implemented and that it currently has no cooperation with the Israeli company.

The investigation has unfolded rapidly over the past two weeks.

On 24 March, Czech police said three suspects had been detained in connection with the arson – two in the Czech Republic and one in Slovakia. Those detainees included Czech and U.S. citizens, according to police statements.

By 1 April, the probe widened further after two Polish nationals, aged 22 and 23, were detained. Polish broadcaster TVP, citing the Czech internal security agency, identified them as pro-Palestinian activists. They were arrested on 24 March and are expected to remain in pre-trial detention for three months on suspicion of complicity in deliberate arson.

Earlier this week, Czech authorities also said five people had been detained overall following the fire, including Egyptian and U.S. nationals. Polish prosecutors separately confirmed on Wednesday that two Polish citizens were among those held in connection with the case.

The multinational scope of the arrests now points to a coordinated investigation spanning several EU member states and beyond.

At the same time, Czech police and LPP have not ruled out other motives behind the attack.

While anti-Israel messaging was the first explanation to emerge after media outlets received emails from a protest organisation claiming responsibility, the company later said it was also examining other possible drivers, including a potential Russian connection.

LPP said in an earlier statement that despite an anti-Israel organisation claiming responsibility, together with the police we are also checking other possible motives, including a possible Russian link.

That line of inquiry gained traction after Czech daily Mladá fronta DNES cited sources suggesting that LPP’s drone production for Ukraine may in fact have been the real target, with the anti-Israel narrative potentially serving as cover.

The company’s role as a drone supplier to Ukraine gives the case a broader geopolitical dimension, particularly against the backdrop of repeated concerns in Central Europe over sabotage, hybrid threats and attempts to disrupt military support chains to Kyiv.

Czech police have confirmed they are investigating multiple versions of events, but have declined to comment publicly on the possibility of Russian involvement.

Russia has consistently denied accusations that it carries out hybrid attacks inside EU countries, dismissing such allegations as baseless and driven by anti-Russian sentiment.

The blaze, which broke out overnight between 19 and 20 March, damaged production halls and warehouse stock at the optics and drone facility, but did not disrupt key deliveries, according to LPP. The company has moved quickly to reassure partners that exports, including shipments bound for Ukraine, remain on schedule.

Czech authorities grapple with mystery group behind Pardubice arson

Sources: Reuters, tn.nova.cz, BGNES

Caption: Firefighters and police stand guard at the site of a burned warehouse owned by Czech arms maker LPP Holding in Pardubice, Czech Republic, 20 March 2026. A group calling itself ‘The Earthquake Faction’ has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Security Information Service (BIS) is cooperating in the investigation with the National Centre against Terrorism, Extremism and Cybercrime on suspicion of a terrorist attack. No one was injured. EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK