Russia likely behind parcel explosions that threatened U.S., Canada flights: Poland

Russian quality services were apt down a bid of parcels that exploded successful courier depots crossed Europe, Polish prosecutors said connected Friday, pointing the digit astatine Moscow successful a lawsuit officials accidental could person caused an aerial disaster.

Western officials person antecedently said that Russia has tried to destabilize allies of Ukraine with acts of sabotage. The explosions successful courier depots successful Britain, Germany and Poland successful July had the imaginable to people a superior escalation by causing an detonation connected an aircraft.

Security officials person said that the parcels were portion of a crippled that yet aimed to trigger explosions connected cargo flights to the United States and Canada.

“The grounds collected successful the lawsuit indicates a precocious probability that the discussed acts of sabotage… were inspired by Russian peculiar services,” Polish Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Przemyslaw Nowak said successful an emailed statement.

The Russian embassy successful Warsaw said the prosecutor’s allegations were “unfounded and unjustified” successful an emailed effect to Reuters’ questions. Russia has antecedently denied involvement.

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Nowak said Polish authorities are searching for 2 Russians and person detained 4 Ukrainian citizens arsenic portion of the investigation.

Polish prosecutors said successful October they had detained 4 radical and were searching for 2 others successful narration to the packages, but did not uncover the nationalities of those accused of involvement.

In October prosecutors said they were investigating the relation of “foreign intelligence,” without explicitly naming Russia.

“Intensive activities are being carried retired to place the remaining individuals progressive successful the supra planetary group,” Nowak said successful the connection sent connected Friday.

“These actions are undertaken successful practice with instrumentality enforcement agencies of different European Union countries.”

He said that the exploding parcels had been sent from the Lithuanian superior Vilnius.

—Reporting by Barbara Erling, penning by Alan Charlish; Editing by Ros Russell