Estonia uncovers brutal Russian GRU plot that threatened Europe flights

A string of parcel bombings that rocked Europe last summer has been traced back to Estonia, according to Estonian security officials.  Authorities say two suspects were arrested this week in connection with the attacks, which investigators link to Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU.

The bombs were hidden inside massage pillows and shipped from Estonia, detonating in rapid succession across three countries. The first blast struck a DHL warehouse in Leipzig, Germany, early on July 20, 2024. The next day, another device exploded at a DPD depot near Warsaw, Poland, where four fire crews battled flames for two hours.

Three days later, a third parcel went off in a DHL facility in Birmingham, England, as a forklift moved containers. A fourth package, also rigged with a timer and incendiary materials, was intercepted by Polish security services before it could detonate.

Estonia’s Internal Security Service described the operation as one of the most brutal sabotage campaigns in Europe in recent years.