Russia was behind parcel fires in UK and Europe, investigators say

Russia's military intelligence service is suspected to be behind a series of parcel fires that targeted the UK and Europe, investigators have said.

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.

On Friday, investigators said 22 suspects had 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, they said.

Russia did not immediately respond, but has denied repeated accusations by Nato countries that its secret services are engaged in sabotage operations across Europe.

In July 2024, four parcels were sent from Lithuania to the UK and Poland, the European Union agency Eurojust said.

The parcels had contained explosive devices that were set off by electronic timers hidden in vibrating massage pillows, according to authorities.

One of the parcels detonated at a DHL depot near Birmingham and one exploded inside a DPD truck as it was crossing Poland.

Another being transported through a sorting centre in Germany caught fire at Leipzig airport just before it was due to be loaded on to an aircraft.

The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) said it was only by a stroke of fortune that the device had not ignited in mid-air.

Investigators also discovered two test packages that had been sent to the US and Canada and a further two packages in Amsterdam destined for the same destinations.

Polish prosecutors previously said the series of parcel fires were dry runs aimed at sabotaging flights to the US and Canada.

The 22 suspects were recruited from Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine, Eurojust said, adding that they were often in a "vulnerable socio-economic situation".

They were recruited and given instructions through an online messaging service and paid in cryptocurrencies, it added.

The investigation is ongoing, and the trials of two of the suspects are expected to take place later this year.

Western leaders have warned of an intensifying "hybrid war" waged by Russia against Europe following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia has repeatedly denied being behind acts of sabotage. But it is suspected to have been behind other attacks on warehouses and railway networks in EU member states, including in Sweden and in the Czech Republic.