Lithuanian prosecutors allege Russia-linked network planned arson attacks in Europe

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VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuanian prosecutors said they uncovered a Russia-linked network of suspects who are alleged to have planned and organized arson attacks in various European countries.

The prosecutor general’s office in Vilnius said in a statement Wednesday, the suspects are said to have sent 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 highly flammable incendiary devices with timed detonators were hidden inside massage cushions and tubes of cosmetics.

A total of 15 people — citizens of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine —are suspected of organizing and carrying out the alleged attacks. An international arrest warrant has been issued for three people, the authorities said. The statement did not say if and how many people had been arrested.

European security officials have previously alleged that Russian intelligence is carrying out sabotage against their nations in retaliation for their support for Ukraine

Prosecutors say the packages were posted by a Lithuanian citizen on July, 19 2024. Two shipments were sent from Vilnius to Britain by DHL cargo planes, and the other two were sent to Poland by DPD trucks. One of them caught fire at the DHL logistics center in Leipzig, where it was to be transferred and forwarded to its final destination, the statement says.

According to investigators, another package detonated on July 21 in a DPD truck traveling through Poland, and a third on July 22 in a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, England. The fourth package failed to detonate due to a technical defect, according to the authorities’ statement.

The Lithuanian authorities did not further elaborate how many people had been arrested in Lithuania or other countries. They said their investigation revealed that the actions had been organized and coordinated by Russian citizens with links to the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU.

During the investigation, more than 30 searches were carried out in Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and Estonia, during which further incendiary devices were found. The authorities suspect that the devices could have been used to plan and carry out further attacks.

The investigation found that the packages contained thermite — a highly inflammable substance used for industrial and military purposes.