MUNICH/OSLO: German authorities said on Thursday that defence firm offices in Munich were targeted in an overnight arson attack and that two Bulgarian nationals were later arrested.

Police said a “political background” was suspected in the attack, in which firebombs were hurled outside a defence tech firm and near a drone maker, but without major damage or injuries.

The Bulgarian foreign ministry confirmed that two of its nationals had been placed in police custody “as part of an investigation into an attempted arson”. The incident comes with Germany — a key Nato supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russia — on high alert for Moscow-backed sabotage plots and “hybrid attacks”.

Bavaria state Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann drew a link between the latest incident, a suspected Russian “hybrid attack” on Leipzig airport last month involving an explosive-laden drone, and two attacks this week on power substations.

Norway seizes Russian ship to enforce $4.2bn claim by Ukrainian energy firm

“As we have already seen in other parts of Germany in recent days, we now face an increased risk of attacks on our infrastructure, and quite clearly also in connection with defence companies in our country,” he told a press conference.

“All of this is happening in the context of an overall deterioration in the security situation and of international conflicts.”

A police spokesman said that authorities were alerted overnight that objects may have been thrown from a car on a street that is home to defence companies.

Police found one firebomb alight and extinguished it, then rendered a second harmless, he said.

Local public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk reported that the devices were thrown into a construction site that forms part of the premises of Rohde & Schwarz, a tech firm that supplies the German and other militaries, and one started a fire near some containers.

Russian ship seized

Norway has seized a Russian ship in the Arctic to enforce a $4.22 billion compensation claim won by Ukrainian energy firm Naftogaz over Moscow’s seizure of its assets when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, officials said.

The vessel, the Professor Molchanov, was seized off the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, according to Covington, the US law firm representing Naftogaz.

The Svalbard governor’s office issued a statement confirming that the ship had been seized and would be held in Svalbard, adding: “The governor will take care of the crew and passengers on board the vessel in collaboration with Trust Arktikugol”.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2026