U.K. Police Investigate Warehouse Package Fire Amid Russian Sabotage Fears

British counterterrorism police said Thursday they were investigating how a package burst into flames at a shipping warehouse earlier this year after a similar case in Germany was blamed on Russia.
The incident occurred at a DHL warehouse near Birmingham on July 22. No one was injured in the fire, which was put out by staff and the fire brigade.
According to The Guardian, which first reported on the police investigation, the package had been sent by air. The newspaper said it remained unclear whether the package arrived in the U.K. on a cargo or passenger plane, and its final destination is unknown.
The Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism unit confirmed the investigation but said no arrests had been made.
“As part of our inquires, officers are liaising with other European law enforcement partners to identify whether this may or may not be connected to any other similar-type incidents across Europe,” a police spokesperson said.
Separately, Germany’s domestic intelligence chief, Thomas Haldenwang, revealed Monday that a package burst into flames at Leipzig airport in July before it could be loaded onto a DHL cargo plane.
He blamed “Russian espionage and sabotage,” which he said was increasing in an attempt to disrupt Ukraine’s Western allies.
Earlier this month, the head of Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence service, Ken McCallum, said Russia is intent on causing “mayhem” on British and European streets in retaliation for supporting Kyiv.
“We’ve seen arson, sabotage and more,” McCallum said.
Seven men have been charged in connection with a suspected arson attack on a Ukrainian-linked business in east London in March that prosecutors say was carried out on behalf of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group.
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