According to investigators, Russia's military intelligence service is suspected to be behind a series of parcel fires that targeted the UK and Europe. European and British authorities launched a joint investigation after several self-igniting parcels detonated in Germany, Poland and at a DHL depot in the UK in 2024. In July 2024, four parcels were sent from Lithuania to the UK and Poland.
The parcels contained explosive devices that were set off by electronic timers hidden in vibrating massage pillows. Another parcel being transported through a sorting centre in Germany caught fire at Leipzig airport just before it was due to be loaded onto an aircraft. Investigators found two test packages that had been sent to the US and Canada and a further two packages in Amsterdam destined for the same destinations.
We have together identified what we believe is involvement from Russian military intelligence in a series of incidents around Europe.
Polish prosecutors said the series of parcel fires were dry runs aimed at sabotaging flights to the US and Canada. ' An international police investigation has uncovered suspected Russian involvement in a series of incidents related to air freight across Europe. In 2024, London's counter-terrorism police were involved after a parcel caught fire in a warehouse in Birmingham.
Another parcel that was to be sent to the UK is said to have caught fire at Leipzig airport. Investigators from Lithuania, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands have contributed to the investigation. 22 suspects have been identified in Lithuania and Poland suspected of having been working on behalf of the military-intelligence service of the Russian Federation.
Two cases have been sent to court. The specific evidence linking the suspects to Russian military intelligence has not been disclosed. Russia has denied repeated accusations by NATO countries that its secret services are engaged in sabotage operations across Europe.