Lithuania Uncovers Terrorist Group Linked to DHL Plane Crash and Warehouse Fires

The General Prosecutor’s Office and the Criminal Police Bureau of Lithuania have uncovered a group of individuals who planned and organized a series of terrorist attacks across various European countries.

The ERR publication reported on this.

The investigation revealed that on July 19, 2024, Lithuanian citizen Alexander Shuranov (born 1973), along with accomplices, sent four parcels containing explosive-incendiary devices from Vilnius via DHL and DPD delivery services.

Two of the parcels were intended for the United Kingdom and were transported by DHL planes, while the other two were destined for Poland and were transported by DPD trucks.

At 05:45 a.m. on July 20, the first device detonated at Leipzig Airport before being loaded onto a DHL aircraft scheduled to fly from Vilnius to Leipzig to the United Kingdom.

The following night, on July 21 at 02:15 a.m., the second parcel exploded in a DPD truck on Polish territory. On July 22 at 03:36 a.m., a third explosion occurred at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham. The fourth device, which was also being transported through Poland, failed to detonate due to a technical malfunction.

The planning and coordination of the terrorist attacks were carried out by Russian nationals linked to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU). Some of them were also involved in the attempted arson of an IKEA shopping center in Vilnius in May 2023.

Among the key figures is Ukrainian citizen Danylo Hromov (born 1988), who also used documents under the name of Russian national Yaroslav Mikhailov, as well as Thomas Dovgan Stabachinskas (born 1971), who holds dual citizenship of Lithuania and Russia.

To carry out certain tasks, they recruited citizens of Lithuania, Russia, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine.

Recruitment was carried out through personal contacts and the messaging app Telegram, with payments made in cryptocurrency.
In total, 15 individuals have been formally charged with organizing and preparing terrorist acts.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted under the articles “Creation and Operation of a Terrorist Group” and “Terrorist Act.”