‘Lucky Coincidence’ Thwarts Alleged Russian Attack on DHL Flight

Parcel caught fire on the ground shortly before it was to be loaded on an aircraft in Germany.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 02:34 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A DHL 777F in Everett, Wash. [Credit: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera]

Key Takeaways:

German intelligence officials accuse Russia of attempting to plant an incendiary device on a DHL cargo plane in July, which ignited on the ground in Leipzig due to a flight delay, narrowly averting a mid-air catastrophe.
This incident is linked to a rise in "aggressive behavior" by Russian intelligence agencies, with a similar package fire occurring at a UK DHL facility in July also under investigation as a suspected Russian act.

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German intelligence officials are pointing fingers at Russia after what has been described as an incendiary device was nearly planted on a DHL aircraft in July.

During a recent hearing, Thomas Haldenwang, head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Germany, said the country avoided a serious aircraft accident by “only a lucky coincidence.” German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reports the fire-starting parcel was set to be loaded on a DHL flight in Leipzig.