Lithuania charges 15 with terrorism over ‘Russia bomb plot’

Lithuania said Wednesday it had charged 15 people with terrorism offences over a Russia-backed plot to detonate parcels last year in Germany, Poland and Britain. (Pexels/Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA)

Lithuania said Wednesday it had charged 15 people with terrorism offences over a Russia-backed plot to detonate parcels last year in Germany, Poland and Britain.

Prosecutors said that the suspects used delivery companies DHL and DPD to send four packages of explosives hidden in cosmetics containers from the Lithuanian capital Vilnius to various European countries.

The devices caused three explosions -- at Leipzig airport, in a truck in Poland and a warehouse in Britain -- while the fourth device malfunctioned, the Lithuania prosecutor’s office said, adding that it was an international inquiry.

Those charged are Russian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and Ukrainian citizens, though it was unclear how many of them were in custody.

The Lithuanian prosecutors said in a statement that the crimes “were organized and coordinated by citizens of the Russian Federation who are associated with the military intelligence services of the Russian Federation”.