TYRANT Vladimir Putin has been accused of plotting terror attacks against international airlines in a global wave of sabotage.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that Russia carried out what he described as “air terror” against airlines in Poland and other countries.
EPAPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Warsaw[/caption]
East2WestA fire burns after the Boeing 737 crashed near an airport in the Lithuanian capital[/caption]
Russian spies allegedly planted a bomb inside a package on a plane to Britain which later caught fire at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham
During a news conference in Warsaw alongside Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, Tusk said: “I will not go into details, I can only confirm the validity of fears that Russia was planning acts of air terror, not only against Poland but against airlines around the world.
“These acts of sabotage are versions of the war that Russia has declared to the whole world, not just Ukraine.”
A slew of air disasters in Europe recently has been linked to the Kremlin by multiple Western intelligence officials.
Western security officials suspect Russian intelligence was behind a plot to put incendiary devices in packages on cargo planes headed to North America.
This includes one that caught fire at a courier hub in Germany and another that ignited in a warehouse in England last year.
In November, a DHL cargo plane from Leipzig crashed into a house just a mile before it was supposed to touch down on the runway at Vilnius Airport.
The crash killed one person.
Shocking images show the fiery wreckage of the DHL cargo plane as emergency crews rushed to put out the blaze.
In July, Russia was suspected of planting a bomb inside a package on a plane to Britain.
The package later caught fire while at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham with the blaze dealt to by local fire services.
These incidents reignited fears of Russian covert sabotage operations against the West.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned that Russia was on a “sustained mission to generate mayhem” in the UK’s streets.
The Kremlin has dismissed previous Western claims that Russia sponsored acts of sabotage and attacks in Europe.
Late last year, Azerbaijan accused Russia of unintentionally shooting down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas day, killing 38 people.
Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a tragic incident following the crash but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible.
The Polish government has now said Russia is pursuing acts of hybrid war against Poland and other Western countries in retaliation for their support for Ukraine.
Last year, Poland’s foreign minister ordered the closure of one of three Russian consulates in the country in response to acts of sabotage, including arson attacks that he said were sponsored by Moscow.
AFPEmergency specialists work at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet near the western Kazakh city of Aktau[/caption]
GettyEvidence collection efforts underway at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near Aktau,[/caption]
AlamyVladimir Putin has been accused of plotting terror attacks against international airlines in a global wave of sabotage[/caption]
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