Madrid: An explosion at a munitions factory owned by Rheinmetall’s Spanish subsidiary left six employees injured on Thursday, with one in serious condition.
The incident occurred at 4:20 PM at the industrial site in Javali Viejo, Murcia, according to local emergency services.
Workers, aged between 30 and 52, suffered burns and smoke inhalation, while a 52-year-old man sustained a traumatic brain injury. Five of the injured were transported to a hospital for treatment, while one received medical attention at the scene.
Rheinmetall, a German defense giant and key supplier of weapons to Ukraine, took over the Spanish company Expal Systems in August 2023 for $1.3 billion. Now operating as Expal Munitions, the company produces aerial bombs, mortar rounds, fuses, medium-caliber ammunition, and 155mm artillery shells, which the European Union supplies to Ukraine.
Expal Munitions runs seven facilities in Spain, including the Murcia plant, but has not publicly disclosed which locations produce munitions for Ukraine.
In December 2023, Rheinmetall announced a €142 million ($155 million) order for 155mm artillery shells, with delivery scheduled for 2025. Although the client was not revealed, the company stated the purchase came from a NATO member committed to long-term military support for Ukraine. Another contract, signed in December 2024, secured the delivery of tens of thousands of 155mm artillery propellant charge modules.
Rheinmetall, valued at around $34 billion, also manufactures a wide range of military equipment for Ukraine, including Leopard tanks, armored personnel carriers, and air defense systems. The company has seen its profits nearly double since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
Meanwhile, Rheinmetall has expanded its operations in Ukraine, with its first local arms plant becoming operational in October 2024. The Kremlin has previously stated that these facilities would be considered legitimate military targets. Moscow continues to criticize Western arms supplies to Ukraine, arguing that they prolong the conflict rather than influence its final outcome.
