Germany foils alleged Russian plot to mail incendiary devices

The arrests could shed light on last year’s explosions at DHL hubs in Germany and the U.K., which Western security officials alleged were part of one of the most audacious acts of sabotage ordered by the Kremlin and whose target included flights to the U.S. and Canada.

The suspected plot, if confirmed, would also show that the Kremlin has continued to design and conduct increasingly daring attacks on the West since President Trump arrived in the White House. Trump has initiated a rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin with the aim of negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine.

European officials suspect Russia is behind a string of incidents in the region in recent years, including the spraying of divisive graffiti, the severing of subsea cables in the Baltic Sea, arson attacks on a weapons factory and the planned murder of a German defense executive.

While authorities have detained and charged suspected Russian proxies for some of the attacks, governments have struggled to obtain evidence that they were acting on the Kremlin’s behalf.

This might be changing. This week, Poland said it would close the Russian consulate in Krakow after finding evidence that Moscow was behind a fire that destroyed Warsaw’s biggest shopping center last year.

German investigators think the plot dismantled last week was at an early stage and that the suspects had yet to mail actual explosives, according to German officials.

There is no evidence linking the trio with explosions last July at DHL logistics hubs in Leipzig, Germany, and Birmingham, England. Following the explosions, Lithuania and Poland arrested several people believed to be involved in that plot.

Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office said two Ukrainian nationals identified as Vladyslav T. and Daniil B. were detained in Germany last week. A third person, Yevhen B., was detained in Switzerland on Tuesday.

By the end of March, the men had agreed with one or more individuals acting on behalf of Russian authorities to carry out arson and bomb attacks on logistics operators in Germany, the prosecutor said.

The men allegedly planned to send several packages containing incendiary or explosive devices designed to detonate in transit. In late March, Vladyslav T. sent two test packages containing GPS trackers from the German city of Cologne, according to the prosecutor.

German authorities believe Yevhen B., whose extradition by Switzerland has been requested, ordered the mailing of the test packages and provided their content via Daniil B.

Write to Bertrand Benoit at bertrand.benoit@wsj.com