Russia has been accused of plotting to carry out deadly attacks in several NATO countries, using corn cans stuffed with explosives. It’s claimed the cans were to be attached to drones and dropped on targets across Europe, in attacks designed to sow panic and chaos.
The explosives are believed to have been smuggled into Poland by a Ukrainian recruited by Russia’s military intelligence, the GRU. Tomasz Siemoniak – Poland’s special services co-ordinator – claimed the GRU planned sabotage operations in his native country, as well as in Lithuania and Germany, Brussels Signal reports. Several people linked to Russia’s military intelligence had been arrested, he added.
The GRU had planned to hit critical infrastructure in the respective countries and intended to blame Ukraine for the attacks.
One suspect under arrest is alleged to have transported 2.8 kilograms of TNT explosives from Lithuania to Poland.
The man allegedly left his deadly cargo near a motorway junction, awaiting collection by another agent. The suspect could face life imprisonment if found guilty of the charges levelled against him.
The case is part of a broader investigation into Russian hybrid operations in Europe, the Polish National Prosecutor’s Office confirmed.
These include sabotage attacks on warehouses and railway networks across the continent.
One case involved incendiary parcel bombs, that were mailed from Lithuania to Poland, Germany and the UK.
Three of the parcels exploded, one of which was at a Birmingham warehouse.
Western intelligence experts believe the parcel bombs were dry runs aimed at sabotaging flights to the US and Canada.
Russia is suspected of being behind a series of recent drone incursions into the airspace of several major European airports.
Airports in Copenhagen, Oslo and Munich were forced to close for several hours after unidentified drones were spotted flying over them.