Fire at 155mm ammunition manufacturer's plant in Slovakia
On September 16, a fire occurred on the premises of ZVS Holding, one of the country's artillery ammunition producers, in the Slovak town of Snina. The flames engulfed the roof of a production gallery, but according to preliminary data, the production equipment was not damaged, and production is currently not underway in the affected part of the building.
The fire broke out in the industrial complex of the former Vihorlat enterprise, where ZVS Holding's site is located. The first signs of fire were noticed shortly after 12:00 — smoke began rising from the roof of the production building.
According to the regional directorate of the Fire and Rescue Corps of Slovakia in Prešov, 16 firefighters and seven pieces of equipment were dispatched to the scene. Thick black smoke was visible from the enterprise area.
The emergency medical service was not involved in dealing with the aftermath. There is no information about fatalities or injuries.
Due to heavy smoke, the authorities of Snina recommended that residents of nearby areas temporarily limit outdoor exposure, close windows and doors, and turn off air conditioners, heat recovery systems, and other equipment that draws outside air. People were also asked not to approach the fire site and follow the instructions of emergency services.
Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák said that according to preliminary information, the fire may have occurred during the building's reconstruction.
According to him, the production technologies were not affected by the fire, and no production process is currently taking place in the part of the workshop where the fire broke out.
“Reconstruction of the hall is being carried out there, and the fire probably broke out during the reconstruction work,” — the minister reported.
Kaliňák noted that experts must determine the exact cause of the incident. As one possible scenario, he admitted a fire during welding works, but stressed that it was premature to draw final conclusions.
The site in Snina processes metal and manufactures artillery ammunition bodies. ZVS Holding indicates that the Snina facility specializes in the production of projectile bodies, while other components and production stages are concentrated, among other places, at the company's site in Dubnica nad Váhom.
One of ZVS Holding's key products is 155mm artillery ammunition. The company states that they are compatible with various artillery systems of this caliber, including Zuzana, CAESAR, Krab, and M109.
Production in Snina has been actively expanding in recent years amid growing demand for large-caliber ammunition in Europe. In October 2024, a new production line for 155mm artillery projectile bodies was opened here.
The expansion project cost was then estimated at 31.5 million euros, and the total investment in the Snina plant exceeded 80 million euros. The factory modernized production facilities, introduced robotic lines, and automated some operations.
ZVS Holding is a joint venture between the Slovak state and private defense business. According to the company's data for 2026, 50% of the enterprise belongs to the state-owned DMD Group, and another 50% to MSM Group, part of the Czech industrial-defense group Czechoslovak Group.
This is not the first major fire at ZVS Holding's site in Snina. In October 2024, a hydraulic press used for volume forming of steel projectile bodies caught fire. The fire then spread to a tank with about 15,000 liters of hydraulic oil and part of the production building's roof.
Extinguishing the previous fire lasted all night, and the preliminary material damage was estimated at about 5 million euros. The company then separately emphasized that no explosives are used directly at the Snina site — the enterprise primarily processes steel ammunition bodies.
At the time of publication, there is no information on the extent of damage from the new fire on September 16 or the possible impact of the incident on ZVS Holding's production plans. Preliminary information from the authorities indicates that the production technology itself was not directly affected by the fire.
Based on materials from: Noviny.sk, MSM Group, MSM Group, Eurenco
