A suspected sabotage nearly caused a flight to crash in Germany earlier this year when a package destined for its cargo hold burst into flames before it was loaded.
One of the country’s spy chiefs warned of an increase in ‘aggressive behaviour’ from Kremlin-sponsored agents.
The head of Germany’s intelligence service, Thomas Haldenwang, said that a disaster was narrowly averted after the parcel ignited on the ground at a DHL logistics centre in Leipzig rather than onboard the aircraft in mid-air as intended.
It remains unclear to whom the parcel was sent or who was behind the attack, despite security services working on the basis that Russia was involved in the near-crash.
Mr Haldenwang told a Bundestag committee that had the package ignited after the flight had taken off, the plane would have crashed.
German intelligence service chief Thomas Haldenwang warned of an increase in ‘aggressive behaviour’ from Moscow as he revealed that a flight neraly
The suspect package exploded in a DHL logistics centre in Leipzig before it could be loaded onto an aircraft
Kremlin aggression is ‘putting people’s lives at risk’ as well as affecting ‘all areas of our free society’, he said.
The suspect package is believe to have been sent from one of the Baltic states, before it exploded at the logistics centre, setting an entire freight container alight.
It came amid growing concerns of parcels being rigged with alleged incendiary devices.
A DHL spokesperson said in September: ‘In response to ongoing investigations by authorities in several countries, DHL Express has taken measures in all European countries to protect its network, its employees and facilities, as well as its customers’ shipments.
‘We are aware of two recent incidents affecting shipments in our network.’
Foreign intelligence service chief Bruno Kahl said that Putin was likely to further ‘test the West’s red lines’, amid the increase in tensions between Russia and Nato over the despot’s invasion of Ukraine.
He said there was now a willingness at a ‘previously unknown level’ to attempt sabotage from the Kremlin.
It is unclear whether the plane targeted was a cargo or passenger aircraft.
Martina Rosenberg, the head of the military counter-intelligence service said that Moscow sought to use sabotage acts to ‘create a sense of instability’, the FT reported.
She added that the Kremlin was keen to find out information about German arms shipments, with the country being one of the largest providers of weapons to Ukraine.
Germany has also trained Ukrainian soldiers on western military equipment.
It comes as head of MI5 Ken McCullum warned last week about hostile state actors, saying that Moscow was trying to ‘generate mayhem’, while plots are being formed in Iran at a an ‘unprecedented pace’.
Bruno Kahl, the president of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, warned Putin is looking to ‘test the West’s red lines’ with covert attacks
A warehouse in London belonging to a company with links to Ukraine caught fire in a a suspected deliberate attack in March.
Meanwhile in Germany a military base was the target of a suspected attempt to contaminate its drinking water in August.
US intelligence also uncovered a plot to murder Armin Papperger, the CEO of weapons manufacturer Rheinmetall, which has supplied vehicles and ammunition to Ukraine.
And Russia was accused of being behind a fire at a shopping centre in Warsaw by Polish prime minister Donald Tusk.
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