Report claims the Kremlin used DHL to turn planes into flying bombs, testing ground for future operations.

Western security officials suspect Russia of orchestrating a covert operation involving the placement of ignitable devices intended for cargo or passenger planes heading to the United States and Canada.

The devices, which ignited last July at DHL logistics hubs in Leipzig, Germany, and Birmingham, Britain, were designed to cause fires on board aircraft, escalating Moscow's sabotage efforts against Western nations, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Setting commercial planes on fire or exploding them is an act of terrorism under international laws.

Citing intelligence sources in Russia, the report claims the devices were concealed within electric massagers and contained a magnesium-based flammable substance. Investigations by the security authorities have determined the devices were part of a broader Russian scheme to test the feasibility of smuggling such incendiary materials onto flights. They believe this was a trial run to gauge the effectiveness of the delivery channels.

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Poland has arrested four individuals connected to the incidents and are pursuing additional suspects, charging them with participating in sabotage or terrorism on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency.

Its foreign intelligence chief, Pawel Szota, directly implicated Russian spies, highlighting the severe consequences if one of these devices had detonated mid-flight. The identities or nationalities of the four individuals arrested in connection with the incendiary devices were not revealed.

Thomas Haldenwang, the head of Germany’s internal security agency, briefed legislators, noting that a delayed flight prevented any harm, calling it a "lucky coincidence." He emphasized the potential severity of the situation, stating that the incident could have resulted in an airplane engulfed in flames.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is investigating the ignition of the device found in Birmingham and collaborating with other European law enforcement agencies.

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In response to the DHL incidents, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has enforced additional security measures for air cargo to mitigate potential threats.

European authorities have linked the incident to a wider Russian campaign of sabotage, including arson, attacks on infrastructure like pipelines and data cables, and tampering with essential services in multiple countries. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations as “unsubstantiated media insinuations.”

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