Gardaí probe if Aughinish bomb linked to Russian attack on Ukraine
It is understood that up to 100 staff at the Rusal-owned Aughinish refinery were unable to leave the plant for several hours between Friday night and Saturday morning. Picture: Dan Linehan
Gardaí are investigating if a “viable” bomb found near a Russian-owned alumina refinery in Limerick last Friday had been a direct reaction to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.
On Friday afternoon a bomb was discovered attached to a fuel tank that services the sports and social club building of the Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina refinery.
The refinery is located close to the Shannon Estuary towns of Foynes and Askeaton.
A spokesman for the Irish Defence Forces confirmed that the bomb was “viable”, meaning it was capable of detonating and causing injuries or death.
The bomb is believed to have included a battery-timed mechanism so that it could be detonated long after the perpetrators had left the area.
It is understood that up to 100 staff at the Rusal-owned Aughinish refinery were unable to leave the plant while a 350-metre security cordon was in place at the scene for several hours between Friday night and Saturday morning.
A Garda spokeswoman said local gardaí were alerted to the scene after a suspect device was discovered at a premises near Foynes.
A statement provided by the Defence Forces read: “On Friday evening, bomb experts from the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team responded to a request for assistance from An Garda Síochána in relation to a suspect device in the area of Askeaton, Co Limerick.
"Following an assessment, the EOD team confirmed the device was viable, and it was rendered safe. The EOD Team then handed the scene over to gardaí."
The army EOD unit were on scene for a total of six hours.
Security sources said CCTV will play a huge role in the ongoing investigation in attempting to discover who was behind the bomb threat.
The area around and inside the alumina refinery plant is heavily populated with security cameras and gardaí hope to secure video footage that may assist them in tracking and apprehending those behind the bomb.
A Garda spokeswoman confirmed on unday that the cordon on the scene had been lifted and the area was safe.
The area where the bomb was found is located close to a publicly accessible nature walking trail.
A source said investigating gardaí were examining one of many lines of enquiry, including the possibility that the bomb may have been a direct response to Russian missile attacks in Kyiv last Thursday night.
While the Aughinish Alumina plant has no direct link to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, it is owned by Russian aluminium giant Rusal, and one of its significant shareholders is Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a close associate of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Aughinish Alumina, which employs 450 people at its Askeaton refinery, has been contacted for comment.
