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Danish firm rejects Russian involvement after three fires in a month

Photo: Sergei Gapon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Photo: Sergei Gapon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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A Danish firm has rejected speculation that three fires at separate facilities were the work of Russian agents.

Occurring at Novo Nordisk’s head office in Bagsvaerd, north-west of Copenhagen, the latest fire broke out on Tuesday and was the third to strike the firm in a month.

"There are no signs of criminal activity at any of the three fires and no signs that they are linked to each other," a Novo Nordisk spokesperson said, before adding that police were still investigating all three blazes.

Best-known for producing the diabetes drug Ozempic and the weight-loss treatment Wegovy, the fires at Novo Nordisk’s plants have come under scrutiny from the public.

"When you see a coincidence of three fires against the same company within a short period of time, it's natural that many people think it could be part of this Russian hybrid warfare," said Jacob Kaarsbo, senior analyst at Danish think-tank Europa.

"I think the authorities are very aware of this," he continued. "There is this tendency to believe that it could be Russia, but whether it is, we'll have to see."

The Danish intelligence service (PET) issued a warning in May that the country was increasingly at risk of being targeted by Russian saboteurs. Despite that, PET emphasized that so far it had no evidence that such nefarious activity had taken place.

A number of European countries have blamed Russia for a string of high-profile arson attacks across the continent, among them Poland, Germany and the U.K. The Kremlin has vigorously denied any involvement.
Source: Reuters
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