Three individuals from Ukraine have been detained due to their alleged roles in sending explosive packages, as reported by German prosecutors on Wednesday. This followed a series of fires at courier depots across Europe, which raised suspicions of Russian sabotage.
Last summer, packages that exploded at logistics centers in the UK, Germany, and Poland intensified concerns across Europe, where intelligence agencies have alerted to an increasing risk of hybrid attacks since the onset of the invasion of Ukraine.
Federal prosecutors indicated that the suspects were likely in contact with people affiliated with Russian governmental bodies.
Two of the individuals, named under German privacy regulations as Vladyslav T. and Daniil B., were apprehended over the weekend in Germany. A third suspect, identified as Yevhen B., was taken into custody on Tuesday in Switzerland.
According to the statement, “The defendants are strongly suspected of acting as agents for the purpose of sabotage,” asserting that they conspired to commit grave acts of arson and acquire explosives.
Security officials informed Reuters that the incidents involving exploding packages at logistics facilities in Europe were part of a trial run for a Russian scheme intended to cause explosions on cargo flights bound for the United States, a claim that Russia has denied.
The prosecutors did not clarify whether the packages targeted air or ground transportation.
Thomas Haldenwang, the director of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, remarked to a parliamentary committee in October that the country narrowly avoided a potential plane crash when an air freight parcel ignited.
Authorities have cautioned businesses about this threat, and logistics company DHL has implemented protective measures for its network following several incidents of fire at its Leipzig warehouse.
German prosecutors disclosed that the three alleged agents coordinated with one or more Russian state representatives to mail explosive devices to recipients in Ukraine, a scheme that was reportedly ongoing until at least the end of March 2025.
To explore possible shipping routes, Vladyslav T. dispatched two test packages from Cologne in late March that contained GPS trackers. Yevhen B. arranged for these packages’ contents with assistance from Daniil B., according to the statement.
