Ukrainians in Germany arrested for explosive sabotage plot
Three Ukrainians suspected of collaborating with Russia have been detained in Germany. The men were allegedly planning sabotage actions using explosives.
What you need to know
- Where were the arrests made? Three Ukrainians suspected of espionage for Russia were detained in Germany.
- What were their plans? The men intended to send packages with incendiary and explosive devices that would detonate during transport.
- What substances were to be used? The saboteurs planned to use an incendiary chemical substance called thermite, a mixture of aluminum and iron oxide, to carry out the attacks.
What were the saboteurs' plans?
According to the German newspaper "Bild," the three Ukrainians suspected of collaborating with Russian intelligence have been detained in Germany. The arrested individuals were planning to send packages with explosive devices. The newspaper reports that the suspects were part of a Russian governmental plan. They were allegedly used as so-called "low-level agents." These agents were said to be "at the very bottom of the contractual chain." The packages they sent were supposed to explode during transport, with thermite as the intended agent for the sabotages.
What was the possible mechanism of the attack?
According to media reports, dangerous packages containing explosive charges were to be sent through a foreign courier company, "Nova Post." The pattern of these sabotage acts was similar to those revealed last year.
German security authorities warned as early as August 2024 about "unconventional incendiary devices" sent by unidentified perpetrators via delivery service providers. This involved several packages sent from Lithuania. One of them, addressed to London, caught fire at Leipzig airport, where it was in transit. Similar packages were also directed to Poland, but their ignition was avoided.
