Putin orchestrates violent sabotage in the United States
Russia may be behind the plot to smuggle flammable packages onto cargo planes in Europe, US media report.
According to the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed Western security officials, Russia is planning similar operations in North America.
European intelligence services have warned that Russia is preparing violent acts of sabotage on the continent in response to the countries’ support for Ukraine.
Officials suspect Moscow of being behind a plot that saw several packages sent by individuals catch fire in Germany and the United Kingdom in July. The incidents could have led to the cargo planes crashing if the fires had occurred during the flight.
The international investigation has revealed that the individuals who sent the flammable packages also sent non-flammable goods to the United States and Canada in what appears to be a test run ahead of further terrorist acts.
Russia has long been disruptive toward Europe, also using its cyber capabilities to target civilian infrastructure.
"Moscow is responsible for 80 percent of all foreign influence operations in the world," Czech Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavsky, said at a conference in Prague on October 9.
(MH with FM/Source: Washington Post/Wall Street Journal/Photo: DPA/Russian Look/Kremlin Pool)