Two Ukrainians charged in Poland over arson of Warsaw mall allegedly ordered by Russian intelligence – media
Polish prosecutors have charged two Ukrainian nationals with involvement in the arson of a shopping center in Warsaw, allegedly orchestrated by Russian intelligence services, according to a report published Monday on the website of radio station RMF FM.
"These are two Ukrainians who collaborated with the arsonists. According to the National Prosecutor's Office, one of them, Danylo B., received instructions from Russia to record footage of the fire and firefighting efforts and send the video back to Russia, where it was then published on social media. The second suspect, Oleksandr V., is believed to have commissioned the recordings. Both are considered members of an organized group whose goal was to set fire to large buildings across the EU to spread fear," the report said.
The first suspect is currently in custody in Lithuania and is accused of engaging in foreign intelligence activities against Poland and committing a terrorist act of sabotage. The second suspect faces similar charges, but they have not yet been formally brought as he remains in Russia. An arrest warrant has been issued for him, along with a request for a European Arrest Warrant.
Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Russia's intelligence services were behind the recent arson attacks on shopping centers in Vilnius and Warsaw, citing findings from Lithuania's prosecutor's office.
Investigators established that on May 8, 2024, the accused entered an IKEA store in Vilnius and planted an incendiary device with a timer, which went off in the early hours of May 9. "The suspect filmed the fire, disposed of his clothes and other evidence, and traveled with an accomplice to Warsaw. There, he received a BMW as a reward. He returned to Lithuania on May 13, collected equipment for a similar attack in Latvia, and took a bus to Riga the same day. He was apprehended en route," prosecutors said.
Artūras Urbelis, head prosecutor of the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Department at Lithuania's Prosecutor General's Office, added that authorities had identified a broader terrorist group involving both Lithuanian and Russian citizens. "This group was coordinated via various social media platforms and encrypted communication tools, with instructions and orders sent directly to the perpetrators. We're talking about dozens of people across the entire chain – from planners to foot soldiers," he said.
The acts of terrorism were intended to intimidate the populations of both countries, pressure Lithuania, the European Union, and other countries into scaling back or halting support for Ukraine, and destabilize key political, economic, and social institutions. Lithuanian prosecutors have also linked the Warsaw mall arson to orders from Russian intelligence services.