A DHL cargo plane flying from Germany to Lithuania crashed during an emergency landing near Vilnius airport this morning, and the authorities have not ruled out the possibility of an attack.
Statements from the authorities
“The plane was supposed to land at Vilnius airport and crashed a few kilometers from the airport,” he told the press Renatas Pozelahead of the fire and rescue service, adding that one of the four crew members was found dead. «All four crew members have been found. Unfortunately one of them died.”
Investigations underway
Authorities, who have opened an investigation, have not yet ruled out any reason for the crash, including an act of terrorism. “It is premature to link the accident to anything,” he told the press Darius Jauniskishead of the Lithuanian secret service. «We are working with our foreign partners to obtain all possible information. We cannot exclude the possibility of a terrorist act,” he said. “We have warned that these things are possible, we see an increasingly aggressive Russia, but we cannot point the finger at people yet,” Jauniskis added.
Arrests linked to incendiary packages
In early November, several people were arrested in Lithuania and Poland in connection with incendiary packages sent by plane to various European countries, the traces of which, according to several capitals, could lead to Russia.
Fire and evacuation
During the crash, followed by a fire, a house caught fire. Authorities said all residents were evacuated unharmed.
DHL flight details
According to a statement from DHL Germanythe plane, which was flying from Leipzig to the Lithuanian capital, “made an emergency landing about one kilometer” from Vilnius airport. Second Ausra Rutkauskieneone of the company’s managers in Lithuania, the plane was carrying “shipments from several customers” and not just one.
Incendiary packages found in Europe
This summer, in the logistics group’s warehouses DHL Packages containing incendiary devices were found in Germany and Great Britain, which caught fire. In Poland, according to the newspaper Gazeta Wyborczaa package also set fire to a DHL truck. At the time, a national security adviser to the Lithuanian president attributed the operation to Russia. «We need to neutralize and dismantle the source and we know who is behind these operations. It’s Russian military intelligence,” he said Kestutis Budrys.
Accusations against Russia
German intelligence had also previously pointed the finger at the Russian Federation. In a hearing at Bundestag on October 14, the head of German national intelligence (BfV) Thomas Haldenwang has openly accused Moscow of being behind the “DHL case”, in particular in the case of a package that caught fire in a DHL center in Leipzig (east) in July.