European authorities say a Russian-backed network orchestrated parcel bomb attacks last year that struck logistics hubs in Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office and Criminal Police Bureau said in a joint news release that four explosive devices were shipped from Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, in July 2024 using DHL and DPD delivery services.
Three detonated between July 20 and 22, igniting fires at Leipzig Airport in Germany, inside a DPD freight truck in Poland, and at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, UK. A fourth device failed to explode.
The bombs were disguised inside massage pads and cosmetic tubes, packed with thermite — a material that burns at extremely high temperatures — and rigged with electronic timers. Officials said the shipments were designed to cause maximum damage before reaching their destinations.
A joint investigation team is coordinating with authorities in nine countries, including the U.S. and Canada. Investigators concluded that the attacks were organized by Russian nationals connected to Moscow’s military intelligence, with support from accomplices in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine.
Fifteen suspects have been charged, while three remain on international wanted lists. Among the alleged coordinators are Ukrainian citizen Daniil Gromov, who prosecutors say also used Russian identity documents, and dual Lithuanian-Russian national Tomas Dovgan Stabačinskas.
Authorities believe the men were also behind a failed arson attack on a Vilnius shopping center in May 2024.
Police said the network recruited couriers and facilitators through the Telegram app, offering cryptocurrency payments for transporting and hiding materials.
More than 30 searches across four countries uncovered additional explosives, some hidden in food cans and designed for directional blasts. Investigators estimate the seized charges had a total explosive yield of more than six kilograms of TNT equivalent, raising concerns the group had been planning further attacks.
The case is being prosecuted under Lithuania’s anti-terrorism laws, which carry sentences of up to life in prison.
