Western intelligence services have reportedly uncovered an alleged Russian covert operation that aimed to trigger fires on board cargo or passenger planes bound for North America.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the scheme involved incendiary devices sent through DHL’s logistics network, with two of these devices exploding in the company’s centres in July – one in Leipzig, Germany, and the other in Birmingham, UK.
Investigators and European intelligence agencies revealed that the devices used in the attempted sabotage were disguised as electric massagers. These massagers were filled with magnesium-based flammable material and shipped from Lithuania to the UK. According to sources close to the investigation, the operation appears to have been a test to assess how easily such incendiary devices could evade airport security and reach flights en route to the United States and Canada.
A European law enforcement official disclosed that Lithuanian police arrested a suspect, identified initially as Igor Prudnikov. However, further investigation revealed his real name as Alexander Suranovas. Authorities suspect he was a proxy working on behalf of Russian intelligence services to conduct the operation.
Broader Sabotage Allegations
European officials have voiced concerns about Russia’s alleged involvement in a broader campaign of sabotage targeting infrastructure across the continent. This includes incidents of arson in the UK and Czech Republic, attacks on pipelines and data transmission cables in the Baltic region, and interference with water supplies in Sweden and Finland.
In response to the DHL incidents, leaders of the UK’s intelligence services have publicly warned of increasing Russian sabotage activities. Richard Moore, head of MI6, Britain’s foreign intelligence agency, remarked in September that Russian intelligence agencies had become increasingly unpredictable in their actions. MI5 chief Ken McCallum, overseeing domestic intelligence, echoed these sentiments a month later, cautioning that Russia is escalating its acts of arson and sabotage with growing recklessness.
Russian Response
The Kremlin, when approached by The Wall Street Journal for comment, denied any involvement in these incidents. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, stated that they had “never heard any official accusations” tying Russia to such operations. He dismissed the allegations as “typical unfounded insinuations from the media.”
Image source: Instagram – FL360aero
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