DHL cargo plane crashes into building killing pilot and sparking fears of Russian operation

A DHL cargo plane crash landed in Vilnius today, striking a residential building and resulting in the death of the pilot. Three other crew members were rescued from the scene and hospitalised due to injuries sustained.

The crash, which caused an explosion that lit up the early morning sky and triggered a major fire, follows recent reports of mysterious explosions at DHL warehouses in Leipzig and Birmingham. These incidents have sparked fears of a covert Russian sabotage operation aimed at causing explosions on aircraft flying in the West.

The bombs were reportedly disguised as massage devices filled with flammable substances instead of electronic components. Lithuanian intelligence services were present at the scene of today's crash involving a Boeing 737-400 of cargo airline Swiftair, leased by DHL.

No immediate cause for the crash has been provided. The 31 year old Boeing 737 cargo aircraft was en route from Leipzig to Vilnius when it struck a two-storey residential building on Žirnių Street around 5:30am.

All residents of the house impacted by the crash were evacuated and are reported to be alive. Fire crews from nearby Vilnius Airport were dispatched to the scene, reports the Mirror.

Earlier reports regarding the alleged sabotage of DHL warehouses suggested that the intended targets were not the logistics centres themselves, but rather passenger and cargo planes carrying hazardous packages.

The father of a British prisoner of war, captured by Russia, has revealed that his son "he had fallen in love with a Ukrainian girl" and that the family had pleaded with him not to go to the frontline. James Scott Rhys Anderson, a British mercenary fighting for Ukraine within Russia, has been taken captive by Vladimir Putin's forces.

The 22 year old ex-signalman was apprehended in the Ukrainian-occupied Kursk region of Russia, as reported by Kremlin media. In a disturbing interrogation video, he disclosed that he served in the British Army for four years before being dismissed and subsequently applying to join Ukraine's International Brigade as a mercenary.

His father, Scott Anderson, 41, shared that the family had implored James not to travel to Ukraine. However, he said James remained undeterred as he "thought what he was doing was right."

He also mentioned that James had developed feelings for a Ukrainian girl he met while in the country and was scheduled to return home for Christmas in a few weeks.