Incendiary incidents in Europe 2024

Last updated

In various sites in Europe, arson attacks were triggered by incendiary devices in packages. In England, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Germany, logistics and commercial facilities were attacked by incendiary devices. Russia is considered the main suspect in the arson attacks across Europe, which authorities consider to be acts of sabotage.

Contents

Attacks

London, England

On 20 March 2024, a fire occurred at warehouse in Leyton, east London. [1] The warehouse was connected to a Ukrainian-owned business. Seven people were subsequently charged with arson and espionage related offences. [2] [3] In October 2024, a man admitted carrying out the arson attack on behalf of Russia. [4] A second man plead guilty to aggravated arson and accepting payment from a foreign intelligence agency in November 2024. [3] The outstanding charges are due to be dealt with at a trial to be held in June 2025. [3] [4]

Wrocław, Poland

At the end of January 2024, a Ukranian man was arrested by Polish police at a bus station in Wrocław, Poland for planning to set fire to a nearby paint factory. Documents and videos in his posession connected him to an agent of Russian intelligence. [5] [6]

Vilnius, Lithuania

On 9 May 2024, a fire broke out in the warehouse of an IKEA store in Vilnius. [7] [8] [6]

Birmingham, England

On 22 July 2024, a parcel spontaneously caught fire at a DHL warehouse in Minworth near Birmingham. [9] Firefighters and employees were able to put out the fire. The Guardian reported the package was sent by air. [9] Whether it was sent on a cargo or passenger plane and the final delivery location are not known. [9] [10] The Wall Street Journal reported that the devices were "electric massagers implanted with a magnesium-based flammable substance". [11]

Leipzig, Germany

In July 2024 there was an attack at the DHL freight centre in Leipzig at Leipzig/Halle Airport. A package containing an incendiary device ignited shortly before it was loaded onto the cargo plane. The fire also spread to other packages and eventually engulfed the entire container. The shipment was posted in Vilnius, Lithuania and was supposed to be reloaded in Leipzig. [10] According to German National Secret Service, BfV only the delay of the cargo plane prevented even greater damage. [12] [13]

The media has suspected connections between the incident and the Swiftair Flight 5960 accident. [14] [15]


The German Federal Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation because there is a suspicion that it was an act of terrorism. [10]

Investigations

Russia is considered the main suspect in the arson attacks across Europe, which national authorities consider to be acts of sabotage. [16] [17]

In May 2024, the Polish Internal Security Agency arrested and charged 9 suspects who "were directly involved in acts of sabotage in Poland, ordered by Russian services", said Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The group is suspected of executing the arson attack at least in Vilnius and Wroclaw. [18]

Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski said Russia had planned similar actions across Europe, recruiting saboteurs and paying large sums of money to carry out arson attacks on public infrastructure in Europe. [19]

In November 2024, Poland's National Prosecutor's Office has confirmed four arrests after parcels "containing explosives" were allegedly sent via courier companies to European countries and the UK. The prosecutor said, the group's goal was allegedly "to test the transfer channel for such parcels, which were ultimately to be sent to the United States of America and Canada". [11] The apparent firebomb attack at the DHL warehouse in Birmingham, was believed to be a trial run for a US attack, according to Polish officials. The four people were involved in "sabotage" and "of an international nature were detained". [11]

In August, Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Criminal Police Office sent a notice to companies in the aviation and logistics sectors warning of "unconventional incendiary devices" that could be sent by unknown persons via freight service providers. It could be acts of sabotage by Russian agents. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vilnius Airport</span> Airport in Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius International Airport is the airport of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is located 5.9 km (3.7 mi) south of the city center. It is the largest of the three commercial airports in Lithuania by passenger traffic, with one runway and 5 million passengers a year. Vilnius International Airport serves as a base for airBaltic, Ryanair, and Wizz Air. The airport is managed by Joint Stock Company Lithuanian Airports under the Ministry of Transport and Communications. It is the 96th busiest airport in Europe.

DHL is a German logistics company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It provides courier, package delivery and express mail service, delivering over 1.7 billion parcels per year. A subsidiary of the German logistics firm DHL Group, its express mail service DHL Express is one of the market leaders for parcel services in Europe. DHL Express is Germany's main international courier and parcel service. DHL also operates a separate parcel service targeting the German consumer market in conjunction with Deutsche Post.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiftair</span> Spanish airline

Swiftair S.A. is an airline whose headquarters are in Madrid, Spain. It operates scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo flights in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Its main base is Madrid–Barajas Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polish Military Organisation</span> Military unit

The Polish Military Organisation, PMO was a secret military organization that was formed during World War I (1914–1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914. It adopted the name POW in November 1914 and aimed to gather intelligence and to sabotage the enemies of the Polish people. Piłsudski used it to act independently from his cautious Austro-Hungarian supporters, and it became an important, if somewhat lesser known, counterpart to the Polish Legions. Its targets included the Russian Empire in the early phase of the war and the German Empire later. Its membership rose from a few hundred in 1914 to over 30,000 in 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Šventoji, Lithuania</span> Place in Samogitia, Lithuania

Šventoji is a resort town on the coast of the Baltic Sea in Lithuania. Administratively it is part of Palanga City Municipality. The total population of Šventoji as of 2012 was 2631. The town is located about 12 km north of Palanga center and close to the border with Latvia. Further north of the town is Būtingė and its oil terminal. Šventoji River flows into the Baltic sea at the town. The town also has a famous lighthouse, which is located 780 meters from the sea. Its height is 39 meters. The town is a popular summer resort for families, during summer it has many cafes, restaurants and various attractions for the visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Lithuania</span>

The economy of Lithuania is the largest economy among the three Baltic states. Lithuania is a member of the European Union and belongs to the group of very high human development countries and is a member of the WTO and OECD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithuania–Russia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Lithuania–Russia relations or the Russo-Lithuanian relations are the bilateral relations between the Republic of Lithuania and the Russian Federation. They have been marked by a long and turbulent history dating back to the Middle Ages. The modern-day relations have been mostly hostile. The two countries share a common border through Kaliningrad Oblast. Lithuania has an embassy in Moscow with consulates in Kaliningrad and in Sovetsk, whereas Russia has an embassy in Vilnius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithuania–Ukraine relations</span> Bilateral relations

Lithuania–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between Lithuania and Ukraine. Both countries are members of the Lublin Triangle, OSCE, Council of Europe, World Trade Organization and United Nations. Lithuania supports Ukraine's European Union and NATO membership. Lithuania has an embassy in Kyiv and Ukraine has an embassy in Vilnius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–Lithuania relations</span> Bilateral relations

China–Lithuanian relations are the bilateral foreign relations between the People's Republic of China (China) and Lithuania. The PRC has a chargé d'affaires in Vilnius. In December 2021, Lithuania closed its embassy in Beijing

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei</span> Greek anarchist militant organization

The Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei, also translated as Conspiracy of Fire Cells or Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, is an anarchist urban guerrilla organization based in Greece. The SPF first surfaced in January 2008, with a wave of 11 firebombings against luxury car dealerships and banks in Athens and Thessaloniki. Monthly waves of arson have been followed by proclamations expressing solidarity with arrested anarchists in Greece and elsewhere. In September 2009, following an escalation to the use of crude time bombs, four suspected members of the group were arrested. In November 2010 two more suspects were arrested while attempting to mail parcel bombs to embassies and EU leaders and organizations.

European Air Transport Leipzig GmbH — often shortened to EAT Leipzig or EAT-LEJ — is a German cargo airline with its head office and main hub on the grounds of Leipzig/Halle Airport in Schkeuditz, Saxony. It is wholly owned by Deutsche Post and operates the group's DHL-branded parcel post and express mail services. It also provides ad hoc charter services including livestock transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabrielius Landsbergis</span> Lithuanian politician

Gabrielius Landsbergis is a Lithuanian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania from December 2020 until November 2024 in the Šimonytė Cabinet. A key figure in Lithuanian politics, Landsbergis previously served as a Member of the Seimas from 2016 to 2024, representing the Centras–Žaliakalnis constituency. He is also a former Member of the European Parliament (2014–2016), where he represented Lithuania as part of the Group of the European People's Party. During his tenure in the European Parliament, Landsbergis served on the Committee on International Trade and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, focusing on global trade and defense policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gitanas Nausėda</span> President of Lithuania since 2019

Gitanas Nausėda is a Lithuanian politician, economist, and banker who is serving as the ninth and incumbent president of Lithuania since 2019. Born in Klaipėda, Nausėda graduated from Vilnius University with an economics degree in 1987. He was director of monetary policy at the Bank of Lithuania from 1996 to 2000 and chief economist to the chairman of SEB bankas from 2008 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian partisan movement (2022–present)</span> Resistance to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Russia

Pro-democratic and pro-Ukrainian partisan movements have emerged in Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War. These resistance movements act against the authoritarian government of Vladimir Putin in Russia, as well as against civilian supporters of these authorities and the armed forces, with the aim of stopping the war.

Events in the year 2024 in Lithuania.

In October 2024, a series of arson incidents targeted ballot drop boxes across the United States during the 2024 presidential election. Fires set in ballot drop boxes have occurred in Washington, Oregon, and Arizona, resulting in damage to hundreds of ballots.

On 17-18 November 2024, two submarine telecommunication cables, the BCS East-West Interlink and C-Lion1 cables were disrupted in the Baltic Sea. The incidents involving both cables occurred in close proximity of each other and near-simultaneously which prompted accusations from European government officials and NATO member states of hybrid warfare and sabotage as the cause of the damage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiftair Flight 5960</span> 2024 Boeing 737 crash in Vilnius, Lithuania

Swiftair Flight 5960 was an international cargo flight that crashed early in the morning on 25 November 2024 while on final approach to Vilnius Airport. The aircraft, flying from Leipzig/Halle Airport in Leipzig, Germany, to Vilnius Airport in Vilnius, Lithuania, was on approach when it crashed into the ground short of the runway, near a two-story house in Liepkalnis. One crew member was killed and the other three were injured. No one on the ground was injured.

Russian hybrid warfare are Russian efforts to foster instability in other countries using conventional and unconventional means, while avoiding all-out war.

References

  1. ↑ "Fire at industrial estate - Leyton". www.london-fire.gov.uk. London Fire Brigade. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  2. ↑ Sinmaz, Emine (26 April 2024). "Briton charged with aiding Russia and planning arson against Ukraine-linked business in UK". The Guardian (www.theguardian.com). Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Sinmaz, Emine (22 November 2024). "UK man admits Ukraine-linked arson attack on London warehouse". The Guardian (www.theguardian.com). Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  4. 1 2 Sandford, Daniel (26 October 2024). "Man admits arson over London warehouse fire linked to Russia". BBC News (www.bbc.com). British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  5. ↑ "Russian intelligence paid $5,000 to recruit arsonists in Poland". Polskie Radio pl (www.polskieradio.pl). Polskie Radio S.A. GW/IAR/TVN24. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  6. 1 2 Bakaitė, Jurga; Knutovič, Evelina (23 May 2024). "Who is behind 'sabotages and diversions' in Lithuania and Poland?". lrt.lt. Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT). Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  7. ↑ "A fire broke out in the IKEA shopping center". MadeinVilnius.lt. BNS. 9 May 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  8. ↑ "Vilniuje naktį degė prekybos centras IKEA" [IKEA shopping center caught fire in Vilnius at night]. LRT.lt (lrt.lt) (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT). BNS. 9 May 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 Sabbagh, Dan (16 October 2024). "Russia suspected of planting device on plane that caused UK warehouse fire". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 "Jetzt ermittelt auch britische Polizei im Fall von brennender Luftfracht in Leipzig/Halle" [Now British police are also investigating fire at air freight center in Leipzig/Halle]. MDR.DE (www.mdr.de) (in German). Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 Jones, Tim (5 November 2024). "Suspicious parcel fire at Birmingham warehouse was 'test run' by Russian spies ahead of US attack". Sky News. Sky UK. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  12. ↑ Flemming, Corinna (30 September 2024). "Brandsätze in DHL-Sendungen" [Incendiary devices in DHL shipments]. OHN (www.onlinehaendler-news.de) (in German). OnlinehändlerNews. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  13. ↑ "DHL-Paketbrand in Leipzig: Sabotage-Akt vom Juli hat offenbar nur durch Zufall nicht zu Flugzeugabsturz geführt" [DHL parcel fire in Leipzig: The act of sabotage in July apparently only failed to lead to a plane crash by chance]. Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH. 14 October 2024. ISSN   1865-2263 . Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  14. ↑ Dom, Evelyn Ann-Marie (26 November 2024). "German foreign minister questions if DHL plane crash was 'hybrid incident'". euronews. Euronews SA. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  15. ↑ Moody, Oliver; Bremner, Charles (26 November 2024). "DHL cargo plane crash heightens fears over Kremlin sabotage" . www.thetimes.com. Paris. Archived from the original on 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  16. ↑ Thomas, James (23 October 2024). "Steckt Russland hinter Brandanschlägen in Europa?" [Is Russia behind arson attacks in Europe?]. euronews (in German). Euronews SA. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  17. ↑ O'Carroll, Lisa (30 May 2024). "Europe on high alert after suspected Moscow-linked arson and sabotage". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  18. ↑ "We have information that acts of sabotage may recur – Lithuanian president". The Baltic Times (www.baltictimes.com). SIA Baltic News Limited. BNS/TBT. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  19. ↑ Deutsche Redaktion [German editorial team] (22 October 2024). "Außenministerium: Russischer GRU steckt hinter Brandstiftungen in Polen" [Foreign Ministry: Russian GRU is behind arson in Poland]. Polskie Radio.pl (www.polskieradio.pl) (in German). PAP/GW/TVN24/ps. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  20. ↑ "Überlebender äußert sich zum DHL-Absturz: Russische Sabotage nicht auszuschließen" [Survivor speaks out about DHL crash]. t-online (in German). 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.