Russia-linked group planned parcel bomb attacks in Europe, according to Lithuanian prosecutors

Lithuanian prosecutors and criminal police say they uncovered a network linked to Russian military intelligence (GRU) that plotted a series of arson and bomb attacks using mailed parcels sent through European courier services. 

What was planned & how it was supposed to work

• The plot involved sending four packages from Vilnius on July 19, 2024, via courier firms DHL and DPD. Two parcels were routed toward the UK (by air), and two toward Poland (by truck). 

• The incendiary devices were homemade, hidden in everyday items like massage cushions and cosmetic tubes. They used thermite and timers. 

• Of the four, three detonated: one at Leipzig Airport in Germany, another in a DPD truck in Poland, and a third in a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, UK. The fourth did not explode due to a technical malfunction. 

Who is involved

• A total of 15 suspects are being implicated. They include nationals of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine. Some are explicitly said to have ties to GRU. 

• Authorities issued international arrest warrants for three individuals. Searches and investigations took place in multiple countries: Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia. 

Other related activity

• Some suspects are also tied to earlier incidents, including an arson attack at an IKEA store in Vilnius in May 2024. 

• Investigators found over six kilograms of explosives during searches. There were also additional incendiary devices and detonators discovered—some concealed in objects like canned food containers. 

Investigative cooperation & significance

• The case is being handled via Eurojust (the EU’s agency for criminal justice cooperation) and involves intelligence & law enforcement agencies from a broad coalition of countries: the UK, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, the Baltics, and also the U.S. and Canada. 

• Officials believe the plot showed a high degree of sophistication and coordination. The fact that packages were sent abroad and timed to detonate in transit indicates this was more than isolated sabotage.

SOURCE: DW