British counter-terrorism officers have announced that Russian spies were behind a parcel bomb plot in Birmingham. Police blamed Vladimir Putin's GRU military intelligence service for a coordinated incendiary device campaign aimed at the United Kingdom. The plot involved four packages designed to spontaneously combust, dispatched from Lithuania during the summer of 2024.
A joint investigation between UK and European authorities was launched following a series of fires triggered by the parcels across Britain, Germany and Poland. Over three consecutive days in July 2024, blazes erupted at multiple locations across Europe, including a container in Leipzig, a transport facility near Warsaw, and a package near Birmingham. Western officials determined the devices were electronic machines containing a magnesium-based compound, making fires difficult to extinguish, particularly aboard aircraft.
Authorities warned that had the parcels ignited during flight, the outcome could have been catastrophic. Officials have now identified 22 individuals in Lithuania and Poland suspected of acting on behalf of the GRU, with court proceedings anticipated later this year. European law enforcement agencies revealed the suspected operatives were drawn from Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine, many recruited from economically precarious circumstances.
The plotters received instructions through an online messaging platform and were paid using cryptocurrency. A 38-year-old Romanian man was detained at London Stansted Airport in connection with the Birmingham incident and has since been released while investigations continue. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, of Counter Terrorism Policing, praised the 'truly remarkable' work of European partners, emphasising cross-border collaboration had proved essential in identifying GRU involvement across the continent.