German and Swiss authorities have arrested three Ukrainian men suspected of plotting to sabotage European freight infrastructure on behalf of Russian state actors, officials announced Wednesday.
The arrests come amid heightened concerns over Russian hybrid warfare tactics targeting critical infrastructure across Europe.
The suspects, all Ukrainian nationals, were apprehended over the past week in separate operations: two in Germany-in Cologne and Konstanz-and one in the Thurgau region of Switzerland.
The Swiss detainee is expected to be extradited to Germany for further investigation.
According to statements from German federal prosecutors, the men are accused of conspiring to send parcels containing incendiary or explosive devices from Germany to recipients in Ukraine.
These devices were intended to detonate during transit, with the aim of disrupting freight and logistics operations across Europe. The plot is believed to have been orchestrated at the behest of individuals linked to Russian state agencies.
One of the suspects, identified as Vladyslav T., allegedly mailed two test packages from Cologne in late March. These parcels contained GPS trackers, allowing the suspects to monitor potential delivery routes and logistics vulnerabilities.
Another suspect, Yevhen B., is accused of orchestrating the operation, while a third, Daniil B., reportedly supplied materials for the test parcels.
Investigators believe the suspects acted as foreign operatives under the direction of Russian intelligence services.
The alleged sabotage campaign is seen as part of a broader strategy of hybrid warfare by Russia, which includes cyberattacks, disinformation, and economic disruption, alongside physical acts of sabotage.
Recent incidents have fueled these concerns, including a package explosion at a DHL facility in Leipzig last year, which Western intelligence sources suspect was a test run by Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
Similar incidents have occurred at logistics depots in Birmingham, England, and near Warsaw, Poland. In Poland, authorities have also accused Russia of orchestrating a major arson attack that destroyed a shopping centre in Warsaw last year.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the issue in a speech to lawmakers, highlighting the systematic threat posed by Russian government-sponsored sabotage.
German intelligence agencies have warned businesses and logistics firms to remain vigilant, prompting companies like DHL to implement additional security measures following a series of fires at their facilities.
The German prosecutor’s office has not yet filed formal charges against the suspects, but investigations are ongoing.
Authorities are treating the case as a serious escalation in Russia’s efforts to undermine European stability through covert operations and proxy agents.
