Lithuanian prosecutors say Russia-linked network planned arson attacks across Europe

Lithuanian prosecutors said Wednesday they uncovered a Russia-linked network that planned and organized arson attacks in several European countries. A statement from the prosecutor general’s office in Vilnius said the suspects, a mix of Russian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and Ukrainian citizens, were accused of sending packages containing homemade explosive devices to other European Union countries and the United Kingdom via courier services, on behalf of the Russian secret service. The devices were described as highly flammable incendiaries with timed detonators hidden inside massage cushions and tubes of cosmetics. An international arrest warrant has been issued for three of the suspects. The statement did not indicate whether any arrests had been made.

European security officials have long alleged that Russian intelligence conducts sabotage in retaliation for Western support for Ukraine. Prosecutors said the shipments were posted by a Lithuanian citizen on July 19, 2024. Two packages were sent from Vilnius to Britain by DHL cargo planes, and the other two were sent to Poland by DPD trucks. One package caught fire at a DHL logistics center in Leipzig as it was to be transferred to its final destination. Investigators said another package detonated on July 21 in a DPD truck traveling through Poland, and a third detonated on July 22 in a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, England. A fourth package failed to detonate due to a technical defect, the authorities said.

During the investigation, more than 30 searches were carried out in Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia, leading to the discovery of further incendiary devices. Prosecutors said the devices could have been used to plan and carry out additional attacks. The investigation found that the packages contained thermite, a highly inflammable substance used in industrial and military settings.

The authorities said the actions had been organized and coordinated by Russian citizens with links to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service. The probe is ongoing and authorities did not specify how many people had been arrested in Lithuania or other countries. The case comes as European security services continue to monitor possible Russian sabotage amid Moscow’s war in Ukraine.