By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BERLIN/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – German authorities confirmed Tuesday that Germany narrowly avoided a massive plane crash over the summer after suspected “pro-Russian saboteurs” tried to sneak a parcel bomb on an aircraft.
The targeted plane was on the tarmac at a DHL courier service logistics center in Leipzig when a freight package reportedly caught fire.
German security officials said the flight had been delayed by sheer coincidence, which meant the package caught fire while the plane was still on the ground.
If the plane had been in the air when it had exploded, it would have crashed, creating a significant security incident in July that would have pushed Berlin and Moscow even closer to direct war, officials said.
Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service, explained that security services were working on the assumption that the attack was connected to Russia. It was not clear to whom the parcel was sent.
Appearing before members of parliament, Haldenwang and other German spy chiefs issued the latest Western warning that the Kremlin had significantly stepped up its destabilization efforts.
ACTS OF ESPIONAGE
The West has accused Moscow of acts of espionage and sabotage in Germany.
“We are observing aggressive behavior by the Russian intelligence services,” Haldenwang said, adding that Moscow was “putting people’s lives at risk.”
He warned: “It affects all areas of our free society.”
Bruno Kahl, head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, noted the Kremlin’s willingness to take covert action had reached a “previously unknown level.”
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin was likely to “test the West’s red lines.”
Kahl warned there was a significant risk of further escalation in the stand-off between NATO and Russia following Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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