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)
Guess I need to leave the sex toys at home.
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
Did you say personal massagers? The mind boggles. I hope kids won’t have to experience these inspections and the ensuing arguments.
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.
Ummmmm….im no Henry Kissinger but isn’t this an act of war???
Diplomacy has failed, the only option they are leaving is war
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
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.
On the other hand, teaching Americans to survive without their cellphones, tablets and laptops might not be an entirely bad thing.
Would butt plugs be part of the ban?
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
The Russia of Vladimir Putin will collapse, just like the Soviet Union in 1991. It will do so in spectacular, and humiliating fashion.
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.
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.
I love how people say that airport security is just theater. This is a reminder of what would happen if people were able to walk straight into a plane without going through security first.
Also, never let the perfect be the enemy of the just enough!
How do ‘initial attempts = fail’ if they were discovered because they ignited? Not via the airport security structures? Seems like a partial success to me.
I would actually suspect that it would be more likely to occur on a flight originating from Africa. They are more closely aligned with Russia.
God forbid Americans might have to be without their dildoes for a couple of days. We are a nation of entitlement and bizarre prioritties.
Although not limited to Putin-apologists, there has been some speculation going around that the most pro-Ukrainian eastern EU countries have been looking for ways to ramp up fears about Russia’s lawless ways and to rally support for Ukraine’s freedom fight even with a feared Trump victory in our election and that this could be such a means for that.
Having experienced a couple of different periods with bans of flight passenger PEDs in the airplane passenger cabins — going back over the past 30 years, first hitting me on a select couple of domestic Indian routes and then a decade or so on some international routes from Europe — before PEDs became so widely prevalent and now a basic tool for international travel throughout trips, this time around any full throttle ban of passenger PEDs on the planes would cause a lot more of a hassle for passengers and airlines than previous rounds of PED bans.
A “no PED” policy for flying would be a serious nuisance given how
Although not limited to Putin-apologists, there has been some speculation going around that: a) the most pro-Ukrainian eastern EU countries (Poland, Lithuania, and such) have been looking for ways to ramp up fears about Russia’s lawless ways and to rally support for Ukraine’s freedom fiaht even with their feared Tr*mp victory in our election; and b) that this could be such a means for the above.
“I love how people say that airport security is just theater.”
Mainly, because that’s what it is.
Hey Marco, say “hi” to Putin for me next time that you two have lunch and he congratulates you on your lukewarm ( just like your borscht ) disinformation attempt.
I doubt the veracity of this story for many reasons, including it’s source and the lack of any motivation for Russia to commit not only an act of war, but an act of terrorism and violation of International Law without any rational motivation.
Russia already has committed plenty of acts of terrorism and violations of international law in Ukraine and elsewhere during Putin’s rule.
What some consider a rational motivation others may consider irrational, but Putin’s been motivated to make a mess of things for others.