Germany detains Ukrainians in alleged Russia-backed sabotage plot, media reports

German authorities have accused three Ukrainian nationals of an alleged Russia-orchestrated plot to send out parcels with explosives in Europe, Der Spiegel news outlet reported on May 14.

Two of the suspects were reportedly detained over the weekend, and the third on May 13, during police raids in Germany and Switzerland.

The West has accused Russian intelligence services of a number of sabotage attacks across Europe as Moscow hopes to destabilize countries supporting Ukraine.

Vladyslav T., Daniil B., and Yevhen B. are suspected of plotting aggravated arson and bombing attacks on behalf of Russian authorities.

The investigators said that the suspects had already begun preparations by sending test parcels with GPS trackers to Ukrainian addresses.

Yevhen is believed to have purchased the trackers in Switzerland and sent them to the two other men in Cologne and Konstanz, from which they were shipped to Ukraine. This was meant to help the suspects identify the transport routes.

Earlier this week, Poland charged two Ukrainians in connection with suspected Russian-backed arson attacks at an IKEA store in Vilnius and a Warsaw shopping mall in 2024.

Russia is also believed to be responsible for a fire that broke out in July 2024 in an airport hub run by the DHL courier in Leipzig, Germany. A flammable package was reportedly sent from Lithuania by plane and marked for delivery to a fake address in Birmingham, U.K.

Despite the hype, EU’s latest Russia sanctions ‘not as strong as they should be’

The European Union’s 17th package of sanctions against Russia, agreed on May 14, is being hailed in Brussels as a symbol of steady resolve. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the move, insisting it would “keep the pressure high on the Kremlin.” But outside the EU bubble, critics see it as another incremental move that fails to match the urgency of the moment, and behind closed doors, even EU officials acknowledge the package was watered down during negotiations. The s

The Kyiv IndependentAlex Cadier