Ukrainians ‘plotted parcel bomb attacks on behalf of Russia'
Police in Germany and Switzerland have arrested three men on suspicion of being recruited by Russian state authorities to send parcel bombs that were due to explode in transit.
The Ukrainian citizens were arrested in Cologne, Konstanz and in the canton of Thurgau in northeastern Switzerland on Friday, Saturday and Tuesday respectively.
'The accused are strongly suspected of agent activity for sabotage purposes,' Jens Rommel, Germany's chief federal prosecutor, said in a statement. 'In this context, they are also accused of agreeing to commit aggravated arson and causing an explosive device to explode.'
The suspects, named only as Yevhen B, Daniil B and Vladyslav T, had told one or more people acting on behalf of Russia that they were willing to commit arson and explosives
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Irish woman ‘in fear' ahead of release of Christian Brueckner
An Irishwoman who alleged she was raped at knifepoint by the main suspect in the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCann says she fears he will seek her out following his release from prison. Christian Bruckner, 48, is due to be freed from a German jail in September after completing his sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old US woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Hazel Behan, 41, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she fears the German man will 'hunt her down'. Brueckner was acquitted by a German court in relation to the charge of violent rape of Ms Behan at her apartment in Praia da Rocha in Portugal's Algarve. She told The Sun: 'His sentence may be ending but mine never did. I have lived with fear every day for 21 years. 'Fear that I'll see him. Fear that he'll find out where I live and hunt me down. I also have fear that he'll do to someone else what he did to me. 'I've called him out in a public forum and I have genuine concern he could confront me. 'I wouldn't put anything past a person like him. 'If he is released, I will worry for every woman and child who, like me, believes the justice system is protecting them. 'A leopard doesn't change his spots.' Later this year Ms Behan expects to discover the outcome of her High Court appeal in Germany against his acquittal for raping her, another woman and a girl in Portugal in 2004. Ms Behan has accused the Portuguese authorities of alleged 'inaction' in identifying and prosecuting Brueckner. In April, she lodged an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the Portuguese authorities over their handling of her attack. Ms Behan also expressed her sympathy and support for the Leicestershire-based family of Madeleine who went missing in Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007 when she was three years old. 'As a parent, I cannot begin to imagine what they have gone through and continue to go through every day for the past 18 years,' she said. German and Portuguese police and firefighters carried out a three-day search of an area near Praia da Luz last week in the latest efforts to find out what happened to the missing child.
BreakingNews.ie
8 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Irish woman ‘in fear' ahead of release of Christian Brueckner
An Irishwoman who alleged she was raped at knifepoint by the main suspect in the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCann says she fears he will seek her out following his release from prison. Christian Bruckner, 48, is due to be freed from a German jail in September after completing his sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old US woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Advertisement Hazel Behan, 41, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she fears the German man will 'hunt her down'. Brueckner was acquitted by a German court in relation to the charge of violent rape of Ms Behan at her apartment in Praia da Rocha in Portugal's Algarve. She told The Sun: 'His sentence may be ending but mine never did. I have lived with fear every day for 21 years. 'Fear that I'll see him. Fear that he'll find out where I live and hunt me down. I also have fear that he'll do to someone else what he did to me. Advertisement 'I've called him out in a public forum and I have genuine concern he could confront me. 'I wouldn't put anything past a person like him. 'If he is released, I will worry for every woman and child who, like me, believes the justice system is protecting them. 'A leopard doesn't change his spots.' Advertisement Later this year Ms Behan expects to discover the outcome of her High Court appeal in Germany against his acquittal for raping her, another woman and a girl in Portugal in 2004. Ms Behan has accused the Portuguese authorities of alleged 'inaction' in identifying and prosecuting Brueckner. In April, she lodged an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the Portuguese authorities over their handling of her attack. Ms Behan also expressed her sympathy and support for the Leicestershire-based family of Madeleine who went missing in Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007 when she was three years old. Advertisement 'As a parent, I cannot begin to imagine what they have gone through and continue to go through every day for the past 18 years,' she said. German and Portuguese police and firefighters carried out a three-day search of an area near Praia da Luz last week in the latest efforts to find out what happened to the missing child.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Putin plotting to blitz Ukraine with ‘vicious & unrelenting' revenge strike in days after Op Spiderweb, US insiders warn
VLADIMIR Putin is preparing a "huge, vicious and unrelenting" revenge assault on Ukraine just days after Operation Spiderweb, U.S. and Western officials have warned. Insiders said the Kremlin's full-scale retaliation for last week's stunning drone blitz on four key Russian airbases hasn't yet materialized - but it is coming very soon. 12 12 12 The revenge strike will be "asymmetrical" and likely to feature a mix of drones and missiles aimed at symbolic Ukrainian targets - not just military assets, one U.S. official told Reuters. Another said the operation could begin within days. A senior Western diplomat added: "It will be huge, vicious and unrelenting. "But the Ukrainians are brave people." On Friday, Russia unleashed a fierce missile and drone barrage on Kyiv, killing at least six and injuring over 80, but American officials say this may only be the beginning. Russia's Defense Ministry called it a response to "terrorist acts" by Ukraine - but insiders say the real retaliation is still being assembled behind the scenes. U.S. officials believe the SBU — Ukraine's security service — may be directly targeted in the revenge strike. Carnegie Endowment analyst Michael Kofman told Reuters: "Most likely, they will attempt to retaliate against (SBU) headquarters, or other regional intelligence administration buildings. "In general, Russia's ability to substantially escalate strikes from what they are already doing — and attempting to do over the past month — is quite constrained." 12 PUTIN'S $7bn HUMILIATION The looming storm follows Operation Spiderweb - Ukraine's most daring covert strike yet. It was led personally by spy chief Vasyl Malyuk under the direct orders of President Volodymyr Zelensky. Over 117 kamikaze drones were launched from hidden mobile units disguised as everyday cargo trucks, slipped undetected into Russian territory. New footage released on Saturday by Ukraine's SBU shows an FPV drone lifting off from a lorry rooftop before smashing directly into a Russian bomber at the Belaya airfield. The strikes hit four strategic bases - Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo — torching aircraft capable of launching nuclear warheads. Ukrainian officials say 41 planes were destroyed or damaged. U.S. intelligence puts the figure closer to 20, with at least 10 completely destroyed - still a staggering blow to Russia's long-range bomber fleet. The $7billion damage, inflicted with zero boots on the ground, has left the Kremlin tyrant furious and determined to reassert its military dominance. 12 12 'IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PRETTY' President Donald Trump revealed this week that he spoke directly with Putin on Wednesday. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the Russian despot told him "he will have to respond" to the drone attack. Speaking to reporters later, Trump added: "It's probably not going to be pretty. I don't like it. "I said: 'Don't do it. You shouldn't do it. You should stop it.' "But, again, there's a lot of hatred." Meanwhile, Russia's propaganda machine is framing the war as existential. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared Friday: "This is about the future of our children, of our country." 12 BLITZ ALREADY UNDERWAY? While officials say the major strike is still to come, Ukraine is already reeling from a brutal few days of missile and drone attacks. On Friday, 400 drones and 45 missiles rained down on cities across the country. In Kyiv, explosions lit up the night sky near the Mother Ukraine monument. A fire tore through the 11th floor of a residential block in Solomyanskyi, and emergency crews rushed to save civilians trapped inside. Overnight into Saturday, Kharkiv suffered Russia's largest airstrike yet, killing three - including a baby and a 14-year-old girl - and wounding 21. 'We have a lot of damage,' Kharkiv's mayor Ihor Terekhov said. At least 18 apartment buildings and 13 homes were hit, with more strikes reported in Donetsk, Dnipro, Ternopil, and Odesa. Ukraine's Air Force said it shot down 174 out of 206 drones and nine missiles overnight. 12 SUMMER OFFENSIVE BREWING Western analysts say Mad Vlad is not just seeking revenge - but a breakthrough. Reports from Ukrainian intelligence suggest up to 125,000 troops are massing near the Sumy and Kharkiv frontiers, with fears of a three-pronged summer assault to finally break the deadlock. The offensive is expected to focus on Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, and Pokrovsk in the Donbas - with plans to encircle key cities rather than slug it out street by street. Military analyst Konrad Muzyka told The Telegraph Russia's tactics have evolved: "We have seen the Russians shift to focused, small-unit attacks, often of just three to five men. "Company-size assaults of 50 to 100 men hardly ever happen anymore." But Ukraine, armed with drones and Western weapons, isn't backing down. Zelensky warned this week: "Even after all of Russia's horrific attacks, he is reportedly preparing yet more so-called 'responses.' "With every new strike, with every delay of diplomacy, Russia is giving the finger to the entire world." 12
