Inside the Russian explosives plot that sent incendiary parcels to the UK

In a July 2024 incident, Aleksandr Suranovas, recruited via Telegram by Russian military intelligence operatives, transported parcels containing sophisticated incendiary devices disguised within cosmetics from Lithuania to several Western countries including the UK, Poland, and Germany. The devices detonated causing fires in transit hubs, narrowly avoiding greater disaster and resulting in extensive property damage but no injuries. Authorities arrested 22 suspects across Lithuania and Poland after a joint investigation involving UK counter-terrorism. The operation illustrates Russia's shift to outsourcing sabotage and terror acts to proxies within Europe following depletion of traditional intelligence resources after the 2018 Salisbury poisoning. The suspects operated via compartmentalized roles with limited knowledge of the overall plot, emphasizing Moscow's deniability strategy. The UK and US issued diplomatic warnings to Moscow. Suranovas maintains innocence, claiming ignorance of the explosives, but court files reveal prior criminal convictions and skepticism of his role. This case highlights escalating hybrid aggression against Ukraine-supporting nations.