TIRANA (Reuters) – Two of its soldiers were wounded as they tried to stop two Russians and a Ukrainian trying to enter a military factory in central Albania, the Albanian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
The ministry said that “three citizens holding Russian and Ukrainian passports tried to enter the factory.”
“Officers who were guarding the factory responded immediately, but during their efforts to stop the three foreign nationals, two of our soldiers were injured,” the ministry said, adding that the soldiers’ condition is stable.
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The ministry said the three foreigners were arrested. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the three people were “suspected of espionage”.
The Defense Ministry said that one of the detainees, identified only as a Russian national, 24-year-old MZ, entered the territory of the Gramsch factory and was trying to take pictures.
The ministry said the man used a type of spray on the soldiers as he tried to escape after being stopped by guards.
Two others, a Russian woman named ST, 33, and a Ukrainian FA man, 25, were also arrested in the vicinity.
Many Russian and Ukrainian tourists visit Albania during the summer holidays. Grammar military base is more than 70 kilometers from the beaches.
During the period of communist rule, Gramsh was used to produce the Russian type of AK-49 rifle.
According to the ministry’s website, the plant now provides manufacturing services to the defense industry. No further details were given.
Albania is a member of NATO since 2009.
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Additional reporting by Florion Goga, writing by Fatos Beitsy, editing by Chris Reis
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