Russia sets fires on cargo planes in the EU - this is testing before sabotage in the US

A series of mysterious fires that broke out at European cargo hubs in July have been linked to a secret Russian operation in which Western officials believe Moscow was testing the best way to plant bombs on US-bound cargo planes, writes New York Post.

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Fires that broke out at two DHL hubs in Germany and England, as well as a courier station in Poland, were the result of electric massagers implanted with a magnesium-based flammable substance.

The devices that caught fire in England were traced to Lithuania, where police arrested a suspect linked to a larger Russian plot to sabotage future shipments to the United States and North America, officials said.

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The United States, Great Britain, Germany and other European countries have repeatedly accused Moscow of attempting to sabotage countries providing military and financial aid to Ukraine.

The suspect in Lithuania identified himself as Igor Prudnikov, but authorities have determined his real name is Aleksandr Suranovas, an alleged agent used by a Russian spy network.

Suranovas sent a total of four incendiary devices to the Birmingham transport hub, including two from a DHL store in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, officials said.

Polish police have also arrested four people in connection with the fires at a transport hub in Jablonowo, near Warsaw. At least two more suspects are wanted for "participation in sabotage or terrorist operations in the interests of a foreign intelligence service."

Pawel Shota, the head of Poland's foreign intelligence agency, said Moscow was directly involved in the fires that could have killed workers at cargo hubs.

"I'm not sure that Russia's political leaders realize that the explosion of one of these packages could have resulted in mass casualties," Shota emphasized.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in the July fires, and German officials noted that the flight carrying the incendiary devices at the DHL port in Leipzig was delayed before they could be detonated.

According to Polish media, the fire in Jablonowo was extinguished in two hours.

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The US Transportation Security Administration said America has stepped up screening of air cargo in recent months and there is currently no active threat to flights bound for the United States.

DHL said it was aware of the fires at its German and English facilities and is cooperating with the investigation.

The Kremlin has denied reports of the alleged plot, calling them "unconfirmed" stories from Western media.

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