European and British authorities suspect Russia’s military intelligence service of having orchestrated a series of explosive package attacks, incidents that took place in 2024 in several European countries, including Britain.
The investigation was coordinated by the European agency Eurojust and involved authorities from Germany, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The investigation was launched after several suspicious parcels caught fire in warehouses or during transport in Germany, Poland and the UK.
According to investigators, so far 22 suspects have been identified in Lithuania and Poland, who are believed to have acted on behalf of the military intelligence service of the Russian Federation. Two cases have already been sent to court in the two countries, and trials are expected to begin later this year.
Packages that caught fire in several countries
The series of incidents began in July 2024, when four parcels were sent from Lithuania to addresses in Poland and the UK.
One of the packages caught fire at Leipzig Airport in Germany shortly before it was loaded onto a plane. Another parcel burst into flames at a DHL warehouse near Birmingham, and another exploded in a DPD truck traveling through Poland.
Authorities were able to intercept a fourth package before it detonated, allowing the device to be analyzed and its potential for destruction assessed.
According to investigators, the devices were hidden in vibrating massage cushions and were activated by electronic timers.
Possible tests for wider sabotage
The investigation also revealed the existence of “test packages” sent to the United States and Canada. Two other similar packages were discovered in Amsterdam and were destined for the same countries.
Polish prosecutors previously said the series of incidents could have been tests for sabotage operations against flights carrying packages to North America.
The head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service (BfV) said it was just a fluke that caused one of the devices to fail to light up during the flight.
The suspects were allegedly recruited online
According to Eurojust, the people involved were recruited through online messaging services and received instructions to carry out the operations.
Payments for the illegal activities were allegedly made in cryptocurrencies, and roles were shared between several people involved in the operation.
The suspects hail from several Eastern European countries, including Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine, and investigators say many of them were in a vulnerable socio-economic situation.
International investigation
The investigation was coordinated by a joint investigation team supported by Eurojust and Europol, which brought together authorities from Germany, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK.
In the United Kingdom, the investigation involved the Counter Terrorism Policing London unit and the Crown Prosecution Service.
European authorities continue to investigate the case and try to establish possible links with other fires or acts of sabotage produced in Europe.
The Context of a “Hybrid War”
Western leaders have long warned that Russia would step up a “hybrid war” against Europe after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected accusations that its intelligence services are involved in acts of sabotage on the territory of Western states.
However, European authorities suspect Russia of being involved in other attacks on infrastructure, including fires in warehouses or sabotage of rail networks in several European Union states.
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