The incidents with incendiary packages in Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom raise suspicions that these could be cases of sabotage by Moscow against European countries for their support for Ukraine.
ADVERTISINGThe British anti-terrorist police is investigating whether Russian spies placed a device on a plane bound for the United Kingdom that subsequently caught fire in a Birmingham warehouse in July.
The British newspaper ‘The Guardian’ was the first to report the news, stating that it is believed that the package arrived at the DHL warehouse by air. It is unknown where he was going. The newspaper added that no injuries had been reported in the fire and that local firefighters and staff put out the flames.
This incident follows similar incidents that occurred in different European countries in recent months. Another suspicious package that was to be delivered by airmail caught fire in another DHL warehouse a Leipzigalso in July. Investigators are studying whether there are links between the two incidents, adding that the packages could have brought down the planes if they had caught fire in mid-flight.
Russia is the main suspect of sabotage
Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany’s intelligence service, declared last week before parliament that the Leipzig package “would have caused an accident.” if it had caught fire during the flight. Russia is the main suspect in arson attacks across the continent, which authorities believe acts of sabotage.
Last week, Ken McCallum, head of MI5, the British Security Service, declared: “The GRU, the Russian Intelligence unit, is the main suspect in the fires throughout the continent, which the authorities consider acts of sabotage.
“The GRU has a sustained mission to create chaos on British and European streets. We have seen arson, sabotage and dangerous actionscarried out with increasing recklessness,” McCallum added.
Other cases in Europe
Earlier this year, Poland detained nine people for allegedly acting on behalf of Russia to commit physical attacks and fires caused in the city of Wrocław.
Another fire caused in an IKEA warehouse in Lithuania it has also been related to Kremlin operationswhile Latvia has also warned of possible Russian activities in that country.
The Latvian Prime Minister, Evika Silinaswarned of possible Russian operations in his country, explaining that “arson is one of the most typical forms of distraction for Russian special services.” In his X account he warned of the hybrid war that Russia has created by using migrants at the borders:
McCallum’s suspicions that the attacks seem revenge for Europe’s support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion are not without foundation. In another incident this year, a London warehouse belonging to a company linked to Ukraine caught fire, as did a shopping center in Warsaw.
There was even an alleged Russian plot to assassinate Armin Papperger, CEO of the German arms manufacturer. Rheinmetalla company that boasts of being “a powerful partner next to Ukraine” on its website.
Russia is believed to employ individuals with European nationality and with links to organized crimerecruiting them through social networks to maintain the discretion of their movements.
