On October 16, 2024, two German broadcasters, NDR and WDR, along with the British newspaper The Guardian, revealed that a package exploded on July 22, 2024, at the DHL Express warehouse in Minworth, near Birmingham. The explosion caused no injuries. The package had arrived at the facility via an aircraft operated by the German company, and fortunately did not detonate while in transit. Earlier reports indicated another package caught fire at the end of July at DHL's Leipzig hub, also without causing any injuries. Both incidents are under investigation by British and German authorities.
Preliminary information suggests that these are deliberate attacks, as both packages contained electrical components and vials filled with liquid. Investigators are exploring a possible Russian link, and during a federal Bundestag hearing, Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany's domestic intelligence service, stopped short of accusing Putin directly but stated that Russian intelligence agencies are acting with increasing aggression.
Ken McCallum, the head of the British MI5 intelligence service, also warned that the Russian GRU appears to be actively engaged in "creating chaos in British and European streets," including through arson and sabotage. The Russian government has consistently denied any involvement in sabotage activities.
