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A fire followed by a massive explosion hit a large munitions plant in Colleferro to the south of the Italian capital, Rome, on August 13.
The incident occurred at the former Simmel Difesa plant, currently owned by KNDS Ammo Italy, according to the ANSA news agency.
The fire and explosion reportedly took place in the plant’s powder pressing department. Several firefighting teams have been dispatched to the site. No further details about possible casualties or the cause of the incident were immediately available.
KNDS Ammo Italy, the Italian ammunition arm of the Franco-German defense group KNDS, has expanded production capacity at several of its plants, including the one located in Colleferro, after the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine.
The plant manufactures medium- and large-caliber ammunition, from 25 to 155 mm, including propellants, explosives, fuses, metal components, warheads and complete rounds for land, naval and air forces. It is also involved in the production of solid rocket fuels for aerospace launchers.
The parent company ranks among Kyiv’s key industrial partners, having supplied hundreds of systems including Leopard main battle tanks and Caesar self-propelled howitzers, while opening a subsidiary in Ukraine in 2024 to support local repairs and joint 155 mm artillery shell manufacturing.
The incident in Italy came just after a blast rocked an ammunition factory in Bulgaria owned by EMCO, another company that has deep defense ties with Ukraine. The blast in the factory, located near the village of Belitsa in the Tryavna municipality, was reportedly caused by a truck fire.
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