Three Ukrainian men were arrested in Germany and Switzerland on May 13, 2025, for planning explosive sabotage attacks allegedly ordered by Russian state actors.

Terrorism & Criminal Proxy TacticsTerrorismBomb threats, assassination plots, targeted killings

Aggressor

Summary

On or before May 13, 2025, three Ukrainian men—Vladyslav T., Yevhen B., and Danill B.—were arrested in Germany (Cologne and Konstanz) and in the Swiss canton of Thurgau. The German Federal Prosecutor's office charged them with planning sabotage attacks on behalf of the Kremlin, specifically involving bomb plots against freight transport targets. The suspects planned to send explosive devices hidden in packages from Germany to Ukraine that would detonate during transport. GPS trackers were used to monitor these packages, and authorities have been investigating these plans, which appeared coordinated and supported by Russian state actors. The detainees were accused of preparing to commit serious arson and causing explosions. The Swiss cantonal police arrested one individual in Thurgau following a request from German authorities, and he was placed under extradition custody. This case fits into a series of suspicious firebombing incidents and sabotage attempts linked to Russian clandestine services in Europe during 2024-2025, including incidents at airports in Leipzig, Warsaw, Birmingham, and Vilnius. The case is under investigation by the German Federal Criminal Police Office.

Classification

Confidence: High

The article explicitly details arrests of individuals plotting sabotage attacks allegedly on behalf of Russia, involving explosive devices targeting freight transport in Germany and Ukraine, with one suspect arrested in Switzerland. The direct charge of 'agent activity for sabotage purposes' and planning bombings indicate clear Russian-directed hostile aggression.

Source URL

https://thurgauerzeitung.ch/international/fahndung-ukrainer-planten-fuer-russland-anschlaege-festnahme-auch-in-der-schweiz-ld.2771808

Open source

Provenance

Publisher: extension
Submitted: Feb 1, 2026, 00:14 UTC
Last updated: Nov 9, 2026, 00:56 UTC
Event time: May 13, 2025, 00:00 UTC

Published as a hybrid-warfare signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.

Raw record

{
  "id": "2118851e-5624-49dc-b231-825493379c7a",
  "url": "https://thurgauerzeitung.ch/international/fahndung-ukrainer-planten-fuer-russland-anschlaege-festnahme-auch-in-der-schweiz-ld.2771808",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Terrorism & Criminal Proxy Tactics",
  "subcategory": "Terrorism",
  "incident_type": "Bomb threats, assassination plots, targeted killings",
  "country": "Germany",
  "source_reliability": "C",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "saboteurs",
    "explosive attack plot",
    "Ukraine",
    "Russia",
    "Germany",
    "Switzerland",
    "Thurgau",
    "freight transport",
    "GPS tracking",
    "Federal Prosecutor",
    "criminal investigation",
    "arson",
    "terrorism"
  ],
  "nodes": [],
  "countries": [
    "Germany"
  ],
  "where_text": "Land",
  "headline": null,
  "description": "The German Federal Prosecutor has arrested three Ukrainians, Vladyslav T., Yevhen B., and Danill B., charged with planning sabotage attacks for the Kremlin. Two were detained in Cologne and Konstanz, Germany, and one in the Swiss canton of Thurgau on May 13, 2025. They allegedly planned to send explosive packages from Germany to Ukraine, designed to detonate during freight transport. GPS trackers were used to monitor these packages. The suspects face charges of preparing severe arson and bomb explosions. The arrests followed coordination between German and Swiss authorities. This incident is part of a pattern of suspected Russian secret service sabotage in Europe during recent months, including fires and bombings around key airports and transport hubs.",
  "summary_short": "Three Ukrainian men were arrested in Germany and Switzerland on May 13, 2025, for planning explosive sabotage attacks allegedly ordered by Russian state actors.",
  "summary_extended": "On or before May 13, 2025, three Ukrainian men—Vladyslav T., Yevhen B., and Danill B.—were arrested in Germany (Cologne and Konstanz) and in the Swiss canton of Thurgau. The German Federal Prosecutor's office charged them with planning sabotage attacks on behalf of the Kremlin, specifically involving bomb plots against freight transport targets. The suspects planned to send explosive devices hidden in packages from Germany to Ukraine that would detonate during transport. GPS trackers were used to monitor these packages, and authorities have been investigating these plans, which appeared coordinated and supported by Russian state actors. The detainees were accused of preparing to commit serious arson and causing explosions. The Swiss cantonal police arrested one individual in Thurgau following a request from German authorities, and he was placed under extradition custody. This case fits into a series of suspicious firebombing incidents and sabotage attempts linked to Russian clandestine services in Europe during 2024-2025, including incidents at airports in Leipzig, Warsaw, Birmingham, and Vilnius. The case is under investigation by the German Federal Criminal Police Office.",
  "actor_primary": "German Federal Prosecutor's office",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Kanton Thurgau, Switzerland; Köln and Konstanz, Germany",
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": 51.165691,
  "location_coordinates_lon": 10.451526,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The article explicitly details arrests of individuals plotting sabotage attacks allegedly on behalf of Russia, involving explosive devices targeting freight transport in Germany and Ukraine, with one suspect arrested in Switzerland. The direct charge of 'agent activity for sabotage purposes' and planning bombings indicate clear Russian-directed hostile aggression.",
  "event_time_utc": "2025-05-13T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-02-01T00:14:26.562Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T00:56:38.992Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

Public assessmentReliability: StrongSeverity: ModerateAttribution: HighSingle sourceTime: Same dayLocation: Regional

Source reliability

Info credibility

Event time

May 13, 2025, 00:00 UTC

Event time confidence

pm24h

Location

Kanton Thurgau, Switzerland; Köln and Konstanz, Germany

Primary actor

German Federal Prosecutor's office

Country

Germany

Countries

Germany

Tags

saboteurs, explosive attack plot, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Thurgau, freight transport, GPS tracking, Federal Prosecutor, criminal investigation, arson, terrorism

Loading signal...

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