German prosecutors have announced the arrest of three Ukrainians suspected of involvement in sending explosive parcels, following a series of fires at courier depots across Europe that have raised concerns over possible Russian sabotage, reports RTE.
Explosive packages that detonated at courier centres in Germany, Britain, and Poland last summer added to mounting unease across Europe, where officials have increasingly warned about hybrid threats since the invasion of Ukraine.
According to federal prosecutors, the suspects allegedly maintained contact with individuals associated with Russian state bodies, reports RTE.
Two of the suspects, referred to under German privacy laws as Vladyslav T. and Daniil B., were apprehended over the weekend in Germany. The third suspect, Yevhen B., was taken into custody in Switzerland yesterday.
“The defendants are strongly suspected of acting as agents for the purpose of sabotage,” the prosecutors’ statement read, stating they had agreed to commit acts of serious arson and obtain explosive materials, reports RTE.
Security authorities believe the exploding parcels at various European logistics depots were a preliminary phase of a larger Russian plan to detonate devices aboard cargo planes bound for the United States. Russia has denied involvement.
It remains unclear from the prosecutors’ statement whether the parcels were meant to be transported by air or overland, reports RTE.
In testimony to a parliamentary committee last October, Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service, said the country narrowly avoided a plane crash after a parcel on a cargo flight caught fire.
Officials have since alerted businesses to the potential danger. Courier company DHL also introduced protective measures at its Leipzig facility after several incidents, reports RTE.
German prosecutors said the three men had worked with at least one Russian state agent to mail explosive devices to recipients in Ukraine in a scheme that was still active as recently as the end of March 2025.
As part of preparations, Vladyslav T. sent two test packages from Cologne in late March that included GPS trackers, according to prosecutors. They said the parcels were ordered by Yevhen B., with Daniil B. helping provide the contents, reports RTE.
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