Russian Explosive Devices Headed For Transatlantic Flights: Two Failed Attempts Could Lead To New Bans On Everyday Items

Airlines in some parts of the world are banning passengers from flying with pagers and walkie talkies after Israel took out much of Hezbollah’s command structure by supplying booby trapped devices. Soon in the U.S., though, we may no longer be able to travel with personal massagers – or other personal electronic devices.

That’s because intelligence officials have determined that Russia has undertaken a covert operation to place incendiary devices aboard cargo or passenger planes heading for the U.S. and Canada, and a dry run over the summer involved placing explosives inside massagers that were being shipped DHL. In July 2024 initial attempts failed, igniting at logistics hubs in Leipzig, Germany, and Birmingham, England.

The devices were found to contain a magnesium-based flammable substance, capable of starting fires upon ignition. This plot would be part of a Russian sabotage campaign against Western allies of Ukraine. The devices originated in Lithuania, and are believed to be part of a broader effort to exploit international logistics networks. Poland has detained four suspects. The Kremlin calls the existence of this plot “unsubstantiated media insinuations.”

Western security officials say they believe that two incendiary devices, shipped via DHL, were part of a covert Russian operation that ultimately aimed to start fires aboard cargo or passenger aircraft flying to the U.S. and Canada, as Moscow steps up a sabotage campaign against Washington and its allies.

The devices ignited at DHL logistics hubs in July, one in Leipzig, Germany, and another in Birmingham, England. The explosions set off a multinational race to find the culprits.

Now investigators and spy agencies in Europe have figured out how the devices – electric massagers implanted with a magnesium-based flammable substance – were made and concluded that they were part of a iwder Russian plot, according to security officials and people familiar with the probe.

Security officials say the electric massager, sent to the U.K. from Lithuania, appear to have been a test run to figure out how to get such incendiary devices aboard planes bound for North America.

REAL ID finally, maybe being enforced at security checkpoints in 2027 isn’t something that would stop this actual threat to aviation. Neither will the analogic machines that are slowing security checkpoints, apparently. I’m not sure we want to live in a world where personal massagers are being confiscated en masse at security.

There’s a potential for future restrictions not just on massagers , of course, but on a range of small electronics or tech items that passengers currently travel with.

(HT: @EbenHerrell)

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. I think this is Absolutely ridiculous,why should all regular travellers be punished because of some terroristic Scumgabs trying to commit heinous acts on the public. To me,airport security are going the wrong way with this

  2. Did you say personal massagers? The mind boggles. I hope kids won’t have to experience these inspections and the ensuing arguments.

  3. Uhhh, is it just me, or is this basically an act of war? This seems like a much, much bigger deal than what the TSA is likely to confiscate in the next few years.

  4. Considering the lax enforcement of our borders, the fact that, unlike Pearl Harbor, many young people think, “Wha??? 9-11? No, it’s 4:15. You need to reset your watch, dude.” This whole scenario is leading to, and I hate to say it, World War III. As a Viet Nam era Veteran, this country is full of “wusses” that couldn’t fight their way out of a wet paper sack. Unfortunately, too many people in this country would rather have security than liberty. Pathetic

  5. Again, “The Russians are Coming”, brought to us by our “intelligence” officials. Pardon me for being skeptical of what these “experts” have to say about anything.

  6. On the other hand, teaching Americans to survive without their cellphones, tablets and laptops might not be an entirely bad thing.

  7. Hmmmm, when explosive everyday devices are going to the US, it is a bad thing, but when they are sent to Lebanon, it is a good thing. Best be careful what you decide is awesome tactics lest they be used against you

  8. The Russia of Vladimir Putin will collapse, just like the Soviet Union in 1991. It will do so in spectacular, and humiliating fashion.

  9. It’s almost comical how the western establishment blames everything on Russia. How so many of the establishment want a new Cold War so they can continue to enrich themselves by the forever war machine – covert or otherwise. Fear of Russia goes back centuries, so it’s convenient to once more portray it as the enemy, 35 years after the fall of communism.

    Try to acquire friends instead of enemies.

  10. The conspiracy-minded crowd believes this is a false flag. It does seem to be more the type of operation that would be run by Iran or the NORKs, rather than Putin’s thugs.

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