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Apa.azFri, 30 Aug 2024 17:47 UTC
Munitions factory explosion in Germany leaves two men seriously injured 30 August 2024 15:20 (UTC +04:00)
An explosion at a munitions factory in Troisdorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, left two men seriously injured,
APA reports citing German media.
Police and firefighters are responding with a large-scale operation, and rescue helicopters are reportedly on the scene.
Comment: The above is particularly notable because there was a suspicious spate of incidents at military sites back in April, elsewhere in the West:
Explosion rocks UK's only munitions filling factory, day after US shell plant bursts into flamesHowever, of late, Germany in particular has seen a spike in fires and incidents at industrial sites:
26th
August:
Fire breaks out in chemical park in eastern Germany
A fire broke out in the Leuna Chemical Park in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt on Monday morning.
The plant's fire brigade is currently engaged, and external forces have not yet been requested, a spokesman for the operating company Infraleuna said.
Residents reported on social media that there had been a loud bang beforehand.
According to Infraleuna, the fire brigade's operation is under way in the area of the company Linde in the chemical park.
Linde AG operates the company's largest gas centre in Leuna, producing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon monoxide and other speciality gases.
29th
July:
Fire at BASF chemicals plant in Germany extinguished; 14 hurt
A fire that broke out at German chemicals giant BASF's plant in Ludwigshafen has been extinguished, a company spokesperson and police said on Monday.
Fourteen workers sustained minor injuries in the incident, which occurred when an explosion set off a blaze in a southern section of the company's headquarters, a BASF statement said.
The company did not provide details on whether there was any impact on production.
BASF said its environmental control vehicles measured slightly elevated levels of hydrocarbons in the area but that there was no threat to the public.
A column of smoke was visible from outside the premises.
Shares in the company were down 2% at midday, after falling by as much as 2.8% earlier on news of the fire.
Whether these incidents are related remains to be seen. However it is notable that Germany recently declared a moratorium on supplying arms to the NATO-Kiev junta for the war on Russia in Ukraine. Although, soon after, it then 'reaffirmed' its support via various other means, including billions stolen Russian assets, as well as troop training.
Defense News
reported on the 20th of August:
Following the leak of a letter by German Finance Minister Christian Lindner over the weekend, media have been speculating about whether the country will be able to keep up its high level of support for Ukraine in 2025. In the missive dated Aug. 5, Lindner wrote that "new measures" should only be taken once funding is secured under a new budget - a longstanding contentious issue within the coalition government.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper first reported on the letter, which was also seen by the German press agency dpa.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Saturday about a supposed moratorium declared by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on new weapons deliveries to Ukraine beyond what has already been authorized, citing internal documents. This aligns with Lindner's internal request to respect spending caps, which also cover defense.
Germany is Europe's most significant backer of Kyiv's defensive fight against Russian invaders, providing over €14 billion ($15.5 billion) in support - mostly military - between when the invasion started in February 2022 and the end of June 2024, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy's public tracker.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, government spokesperson Wolfgang Büchner countered journalists' questions on the FAZ reporting, saying that "absolutely nothing will change in our commitment and decisiveness in supporting Ukraine." Suggesting otherwise would be "almost defamatory," he said.
It is true, however, that Berlin is clamoring to balance a new federal budget that has been hotly contested for months. Currently, €4 billion are slated for supporting Ukraine next year, down from €7.5 billion in 2024. This year's number was raised from an original value of €4 billion by the Bundestag, the German parliament.
Instead of taking Ukraine aid money from Germany's budget, it would in the future come from dividends on frozen Russian assets, the German finance minister said in his internal letter. The G7 countries have vowed to use the vast frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's survival, including furnishing a $50 billion loan to the country.
Meanwhile, already-authorized German weapons deliveries will continue in 2025, Büchner confirmed on Monday. In the next calendar year, "more than 20 PzH 2000, Zuzana and RCH 155 howitzers, 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 37 Leopard 1A5s, five Gepards, three IRIS-T SLM systems and also three IRIS-T SLS systems, as well as two Skynex air defense systems and thousands of rounds of ammunition" will be transferred to Ukraine, he said.
Comment: The above is particularly notable because there was a suspicious spate of incidents at military sites back in April, elsewhere in the West: Explosion rocks UK's only munitions filling factory, day after US shell plant bursts into flames
However, of late, Germany in particular has seen a spike in fires and incidents at industrial sites:
26th August: 29th July: Whether these incidents are related remains to be seen. However it is notable that Germany recently declared a moratorium on supplying arms to the NATO-Kiev junta for the war on Russia in Ukraine. Although, soon after, it then 'reaffirmed' its support via various other means, including billions stolen Russian assets, as well as troop training.
Defense News reported on the 20th of August: