International Tug-of-War for Suspected GRU Saboteur in Azerbaijan

A DHL freight plane at a hub near Leipzig, Germany. (Jens Meyer/AP)

Western security agencies and Russian intelligence are in a secret, intense contest to take custody of Yaroslav Mikhailov, a key Russian agent. He is suspected of organizing a string of cargo bomb attacks across Europe in 2024.

Mikhailov is accused of being a GRU (Russian military intelligence) agent and the main person behind the bombings. The attacks happened in July 2024. Packages held self-detonating devices and flammable magnesium compounds (hidden in things like massagers and sex toys). These caused fires at DHL and DPD cargo centers in Leipzig (Germany), Birmingham (UK), and Warsaw (Poland). The packages started in Lithuania. German officials said the bombs could have caused a serious aviation disaster if they had gone off while a plane was in flight.

Mikhailov is seen as the most important suspect who is still free. There are at least 20 people facing terrorism and other charges in Poland and Lithuania because of this plot. Investigators think he was a key person who directed European recruits (many with criminal histories) through Telegram under the name Jarik Deppa. He also decided on the technical details for the explosive devices. The attacks are thought to have been a test run. Mikhailov also arranged for fake test packages to be sent to addresses in Washington and Ottawa, likely to collect info on transatlantic shipping security.

The Extradition Fight

After the European attacks, Mikhailov used fake documents, like Ukrainian passports under names like Daniil Gromov, to escape to Azerbaijan. His presence in Baku has caused a tense diplomatic and intelligence situation.

Russia values him highly. The heads of the FSB, SVR, and GRU (all major Russian intelligence services) have pressured Azerbaijani authorities to send Mikhailov back to Russia, saying he is a wanted criminal. Poland, the UK, Ukraine, and Lithuania are asking Baku to approve Poland's request to extradite him. Poland has also issued a secret Interpol arrest warrant for Mikhailov for terrorist acts done under Russian intelligence.

Right now, Azerbaijan has turned down all requests for his custody. Mikhailov is in limbo, watched and not allowed to leave the country, but not formally arrested. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry have not commented on the situation.

Recruits and Handlers

This case shows Russia's hybrid warfare strategy, where the GRU gets more operatives from criminal groups for their specific skills. Mikhailov was criminally charged in Russia in 2015 for smuggling explosives and radioactive materials. The case was later closed in a strange way, possibly because he made a deal to join the intelligence service.

Investigators tracked Mikhailov's main contact to someone using the name Warrior. This person was linked to Aleksey Kolosovskiy, suspected of being part of the Russian hacking group Killnet, which may be tied to Russian intelligence. Kolosovskiy says he does not know Mikhailov, is not part of Killnet, and has nothing to do with the bomb plot.

The drive to bring Mikhailov back to Russia shows a key idea of the Kremlin: they want to protect patriots who do dangerous things abroad for the state and prevent any damaging info from coming out during a European trial.