Germany’s Federal Prosecutor has formally charged two Ukrainian nationals with attempting to send parcels containing explosives on behalf of Russian special services, in what investigators describe as part of a broader sabotage campaign across Europe.
The charges, brought eight months after the suspects’ arrest, represent an important turning point in Germany’s response to covert operations allegedly orchestrated by Moscow using recruited intermediaries.
What German Prosecutors Allege
According to the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office, Ukrainians Danylo B. and Vladyslav T. were instructed to send two parcels from Cologne to Ukraine in March 2025.
The parcels were allegedly fitted with activated GPS trackers. Their purpose was not delivery but reconnaissance, mapping routes, logistics chains, and service providers involved in international parcel transport. Prosecutors say the devices were designed to explode either on German soil or while en route to Ukraine.
The case was first reported by Die Welt.
Russian Intelligence Through Intermediaries
Investigators believe the assignment came from Russian intelligence services, transmitted through intermediaries operating in Ukraine. This layer of separation, prosecutors argue, was intended to obscure direct links to Moscow while exploiting vulnerable or coercible actors.
German authorities have increasingly warned that such indirect recruitment is becoming a preferred method in hybrid operations, allowing planners to maintain plausible deniability even when plots are disrupted.
A Third Suspect and Expanding Case
A third Ukrainian national, Yevgeny B., is also suspected of involvement. He was arrested in Switzerland and extradited to Germany in December. German media reports indicate that formal charges against him are imminent.
German investigators linked all three suspects to a failed sabotage attempt in May 2025, when they intercepted parcels containing explosives before detonation.
Part of a Wider European Pattern
German investigators say this case fits a broader pattern. European law enforcement agencies examining earlier incidents involving “explosive parcels” increasingly believe they were coordinated by Russian special services, with Ukrainians among those recruited to carry them out.
Reports by Reuters, which previously detailed a series of parcel explosions and attempted attacks across Europe allegedly tied to Russian intelligence operations, echo this assessment.
What once appeared as isolated criminal acts is now being framed as a coordinated campaign designed to test European security systems, disrupt logistics, and spread fear without crossing the threshold of overt military confrontation.
Security Implications for Europe
The case highlights the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure, particularly parcel and logistics networks, to covert sabotage. Russian operations abroad are targeting citizens of Ukraine, a country under Russian attack, for recruitment.
German officials stress that this does not reflect Ukrainian state involvement but rather the methods used by Russian intelligence to exploit individuals under pressure or deception.
A Warning Signal
The formal charges send a clear signal that Germany intends to pursue such cases as matters of national security, not ordinary crime. With multiple European countries now coordinating investigations, prosecutors are working to map connections between incidents that once seemed unrelated.
Whether such investigation leads to broader indictments or diplomatic consequences remains to be seen. What is clear is that parcel bombs, once the stuff of fringe threats, have become a tool in Europe’s shadow conflict.
