Three Ukrainians face trial in Stuttgart for plotting parcel bomb attacks in Germany and Ukraine, allegedly ordered by Russian intelligence.
STUTTGART: Three Ukrainian nationals went on trial on Tuesday, accused of plotting sabotage attacks in Germany and Ukraine as part of a Russian “hybrid” campaign.
German federal prosecutors allege the men conspired to send incendiary parcels intended to ignite during transit to undermine public security.
The suspects are charged with conspiring to commit arson and acting as foreign agents to carry out sabotage.
Prosecutors claim the operation was “ordered by a Russian intelligence service through intermediaries in Mariupol,” a Ukrainian city under Russian occupation.
In preparation, the men allegedly posted test packages with GPS trackers from Konstanz and Cologne to Ukraine in March 2025.
The goal was to map transport routes used by Ukraine’s postal service for future attacks.
One accused, 30-year-old Yevhen B., was arrested in Switzerland in May 2025 before extradition to Germany.
The other defendants, 22-year-old Daniil B. and 25-year-old Vladyslav T., were arrested in Konstanz and Cologne.
Germany has been on high alert for Russian sabotage since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Berlin, a major military aid supplier to Kyiv, accuses Moscow of a broader campaign of sabotage and espionage across Europe.
The Kremlin has denied responsibility for such incidents.
This case resembles an alleged July 2024 plot to mail explosive devices from Lithuania across Europe.
Parcels detonated at DHL facilities in the UK and Leipzig, Germany, with suspects now on trial in Poland and Lithuania.
European prosecutors believe Russia was ultimately behind that scheme.
German courts are handling several other Russia-linked sabotage and espionage cases.
In late January, police arrested a German-Ukrainian woman in Berlin for allegedly spying for Russia.
An Armenian, a Ukrainian and a Russian went on trial in December for allegedly tailing a former Ukrainian soldier for a possible assassination.
A Munich court in October sentenced a German-Russian national to six years for spying and plotting sabotage against German support for Ukraine.
