The factory in Italy, where explosions and a fire broke out yesterday, is transferring weapons to Ukraine. What is known about it

The factory in southern Italy, where the explosion occurred on August 13, produces ammunition and weapons that are transferred to Ukraine through European partners. This is KNDS Ammo Italy in Colleferro.

This is stated on the KNDS website.

The company is part of the Franco-German defense holding KNDS, which is one of the key industrial partners of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In 2024, KNDS opened a subsidiary in Kyiv, KNDS Ukraine LLC.

One of the goals of creating KNDS Ukraine was to provide Ukrainian industry with the opportunity to independently maintain and repair KNDS equipment — these are Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks, CAESAR self-propelled artillery mounts, AMX-10 RC combat reconnaissance vehicles, PzH 2000 armored self-propelled howitzers, and Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft mounts.

KNDS and the Ukrainian defense industry also planned to jointly produce 155-mm artillery ammunition in Ukraine.

Among the weapons produced by the holding are CAESAR self-propelled artillery systems, Leopard tanks, and 155 mm shells. In 2024, the company reported that 800 of its combat systems had been deployed in Ukraine.

• On August 10, explosions occurred on the territory of the EMKO military plant in the village of Belitsa near Tryavna, Bulgaria. First, a truck caught fire at the EMKO plant. After that, a detonation began in the ammunition warehouse (in one of the workshops).
• This factory, which produces artillery shells, mortars, and ammunition, is owned by Bulgarian businessman Omelyan Gebrev. According to Omelyan Gebrev, after 2014, EMKO transferred ammunition stored in Czech military warehouses in Vrbetice to Ukraine.

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