- A fire has destroyed parts of the B&T weapons complex in Thun, Switzerland. The company, which manufactures small arms, tactical accessories and non-lethal equipment, is reported to have supplied weapons to Ukraine. Investigators suspect arson, while the cause of the incident has yet to be officially established.
- B&T Fire Adds to a Series of Incidents Across Europe
- A Warning for Countries Involved in Arms Supplies to Ukraine
A fire has destroyed parts of the B&T weapons complex in Thun, Switzerland. The company, which manufactures small arms, tactical accessories and non-lethal equipment, is reported to have supplied weapons to Ukraine. Investigators suspect arson, while the cause of the incident has yet to be officially established.
The fire broke out at the facilities of B&T, a Swiss manufacturer of firearms, tactical accessories and non-lethal weapons based in the city of Thun.
Production and storage buildings were gutted, along with the company’s flagship store and an indoor shooting range, both of which are part of the same complex. The owners have put the preliminary damage at around 20 million Swiss francs.
Arson is the leading theory. Police have obtained surveillance footage showing several people dressed in black throwing bottles filled with incendiary liquid onto wooden pellets stored beside the building.
B&T Fire Adds to a Series of Incidents Across Europe
The fire in Thun is far from an isolated incident. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, a series of fires and other incidents have affected military bases and arms manufacturers across Europe, including facilities involved in supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Speculation about a possible “Moscow connection” quickly followed. Yet, as in previous cases, no convincing evidence has been presented to substantiate claims of Russian involvement.
The perpetrators could just as well have been local activists opposed to their country’s involvement in a war that continues to claim lives. Switzerland’s traditional neutrality makes that possibility particularly relevant, although investigators have not established a motive.
A Warning for Countries Involved in Arms Supplies to Ukraine
There is also a lesson here for our own leadership, which is now actively working to turn the country into a logistics hub and an assembly site for weapons destined for Ukraine.
Incidents across Europe have repeatedly shown that facilities connected with arms production and weapons deliveries can face serious fire and explosion risks. Those responsible for such projects would be wise to take the necessary precautions now, rather than wait for a disaster and then resort once again to unsubstantiated claims about the “hand of Moscow”.
The fire in Thun is a reminder that the risks surrounding the arms trade do not end at the battlefield.
