A new sabotage operation orchestrated by Russia in Romania

Working with DIICOT, MAI-DCCO, and MApN-DGIA, as well as external partner agencies, the SRI reports that it has prevented a sabotage plan involving two Ukrainian citizens who were directly coordinated by representatives of the Russian secret services. Their aim was to set fire to the headquarters of NOVA POST, a courier company, located in Bucharest.

Between October 14 and 15, 2025, the SRI identified and monitored the two Ukrainian nationals who entered Romania from Poland. They deposited two packages at the NOVA POST headquarters containing handmade remote-controlled incendiary devices hidden within headphones and car parts, along with GPS tracking components.

„Our teams and specialized resources enabled us to quickly identify the incendiary parcels, defuse them, and prevent any potential initiation of the devices, whether intentional or accidental,” says the SRI. „Currently, judicial authorities, in collaboration with police and national security agencies, are investigating the actions of the two Ukrainian citizens. Preliminary analysis indicates a complex modus operandi involving the use of incendiary substances (thermite and barium nitrate), their concealment for remote activation, and self-protection measures typically associated with intelligence services. The data gathered suggests that these two individuals are part of a larger network of saboteurs targeting multiple European countries, controlled by Russian secret services. Their actions fit a consistent operational pattern aimed at attacking the extensive infrastructure of NOVA POST, the largest private courier company in Ukraine.”

Previously, Reuters reported that Poland and Romania had intercepted a Russian plot involving explosive parcels. On Tuesday, Warsaw authorities stated that they had detained eight individuals suspected of planning sabotage on behalf of Russia, with three arrests connected to a recent scheme to send explosive parcels, this time targeting Ukraine.

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European officials have previously accused Russia of detonating parcels sent via DHL and DPD in Europe in 2024, which security services described as part of a strategy to test the potential for explosives to be triggered on cargo flights to the United States. Russia has denied these allegations.