Polish prosecutors have charged two Ukrainian citizens in connection with a suspected Russian operation to orchestrate a series of arson attacks in EU countries, including the 2024 fire at the Marywilska shopping center in Warsaw, according to the official statement from May 12.
According to the statement, the Ukrainian nationals were involved in a criminal group acting on Russia's behalf. The group is accused of carrying out acts of sabotage by setting fire to large commercial facilities across the EU, including an IKEA store in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 9, 2024.
Lithuanian authorities previously said they suspect Russia's intelligence services of orchestrating arson attacks on the IKEA warehouse in Vilnius, and had also linked Russia to the Warsaw shopping center attack.
The attack on the Ikea warehouse caused an estimated 500,000 euros ($545,000) in damage. The Warsaw attack seriously damaged the shopping center, which had 1,400 shops and service points, rented by over 700 people.
"During the investigation, evidence was obtained to determine that this fire was the result of arson by members of an organized criminal group acting on behalf of the intelligence of the Russian Federation," the statement read.
"The purpose of the group's activities was to set fire to large-scale facilities in the European Union countries," the Polish Prosecutor’s Office said.
One of the suspects, presented by Polish prosecutors only as Daniil B., was born in 2006. During the full-scale war, Russia has frequently recruited minors and young people for sabotage attacks in Ukraine and abroad.
The investigation indicates that Daniil B., acting under the orders of another Ukrainian suspect, Oleksandr V., documented the Warsaw fire on May 12, 2024, and sent the footage to be used in Russian propaganda.
Both men face charges related to terrorism and espionage. Daniil B. was detained in Lithuania, where he is in temporary custody, while Oleksandr V. remains at large in Russia. Polish authorities are seeking his extradition under a European Arrest Warrant.
The crime Oleksandr V. is charged with carries a penalty of no less than 10 years in prison and may result in a life sentence. Other members of the organized criminal group are still to be identified.
The Kyiv Independent reached out to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry to confirm whether it had received any official communication from the Polish side regarding the suspects. The ministry has not responded as of the time of publication.
Polish prosecutors say these arson attacks were part of a broader campaign by Russian intelligence services to spread fear and destabilize EU societies. The investigation is being conducted jointly by Polish and Lithuanian authorities through a Joint Investigation Team (JIT).
At this stage, no individuals have been charged with directly starting the fire at Marywilska Mall. The investigation continues, with authorities also probing related incidents, including a separate arson attack at a hardware store in Warsaw attributed to a Belarusian national acting for Russian intelligence services.
On May 12, Poland revoked a permission for Russia to operate a consulate in Krakow over evidence about Russian involvement in the 2024 arson attack in Warsaw.
Anna Fratsyvir
(Updated: )
