Overview

• Western intelligence and joint media investigations confirm the GRU's role in planting incendiary devices at European airports in July 2024.
• Fires occurred on the ground in Birmingham, Leipzig/Halle, and near Warsaw, with no in-flight detonations attributed to fortunate timing.
• The operation used 'Wegwerf-Agenten' (disposable agents) recruited via messaging apps to mask official Russian involvement.
• A sanctioned GRU colonel, Denis Smolyaninov, is identified as a key figure in recruiting agents for the sabotage network.
• Arrests tied to the plot have been made in Lithuania, Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the UK, as aviation security reviews intensify.