Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has accused Russia of orchestrating a global campaign of air terrorism, targeting airlines through incendiary devices intended to cause mid-air disasters.
Tusk’s statements came during a joint press conference in Warsaw with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where he highlighted growing concerns over Russia’s alleged involvement in acts of sabotage. “I can confirm that Russia planned acts of air terror, not just against Poland but against airlines across the globe,” Tusk said, echoing warnings from Western intelligence sources.
The accusations are tied to incidents of incendiary parcels igniting at cargo depots and on planes, with notable cases in Germany, the UK and Poland. In July, fires broke out at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham and on the tarmac at Leipzig Airport. Reports suggest the parcels were mailed from Lithuania and contained magnesium-based incendiary devices, concealed within seemingly harmless items like massagers.
🚨🇬🇧UK POLICE INVESTIGATE WAREHOUSE FIRE LINKED TO RUSSIAN SABOTAGE
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 17, 2024
UK anti-terrorism police are investigating a July incident at a DHL warehouse near Birmingham where a parcel burst into flames.
The investigation follows similar cases in Germany, suspected of being part of… pic.twitter.com/tEv7RRvFdI
These incidents are believed to have been “dry runs” for potential large-scale attacks. Intelligence reports cited by The New York Times revealed that US officials intercepted conversations within Russia’s GRU military intelligence, suggesting the devices were part of a broader plan targeting flights to North America. In response, the US government reportedly issued stern warnings to Moscow, emphasizing that any such attacks would constitute state-sponsored terrorism.
Tusk’s remarks are part of a broader pattern of accusations against Russia, which has been linked to various forms of hybrid warfare. This includes sabotage of European infrastructure, GPS signal jamming and cyberattacks. In April 2024, Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka claimed that Russian operatives had attempted thousands of attacks on European railways since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Poland has taken measures to counter these threats, including the closure of one of Russia’s consulates. Western leaders have also tightened cargo security protocols following the parcel attacks, though public statements have been limited to avoid causing panic.
The allegations come amid lingering distrust over Russia’s involvement in previous aviation tragedies, such as the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, which killed 298 people. Although international investigations implicated Russian-backed separatists, Moscow has consistently denied responsibility.
Most recently, Russia faced accusations of downing an Azerbaijani passenger jet in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. While President Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragedy, Russia denied culpability.
