Lithuania says Russian military intelligence behind Ikea arson attack in Vilnius

Lithuanian authorities person tenable grounds to judge that Russian subject quality organised and funded the Ikea store arson onslaught successful Vilnius successful 2024, the Baltic country's authoritative wide said.

The main fishy successful the incidental engaged with "Russian subject and information services" and accepted outgo arsenic portion of a violent organisation plotting attacks successful some Lithuania and Latvia, according to the connection connected Monday.

The fishy is said to person planted a timed fuse successful the store connected 9 May past year, which was activated overnight.

After filming the occurrence and sending the footage, the fishy successful the lawsuit attempted to screen up their tracks and fled to Warsaw — wherever they picked up a BMW arsenic a reward for completing the task.

The overseas national, who was underage astatine the clip of the attack, had repeatedly visited Poland and Lithuania to stitchery accusation and program the arson.

The idiosyncratic was arrested en way to committing a akin onslaught successful Riga.

Authorities said information from pre-trial probe materials allowed them to "reasonably assume" that the idiosyncratic was acting successful the interests of the "military structures and information services of the Russian Federation" successful a pre-established violent organisation.

Lithuania's authoritative said the fishy aimed to intimidate and disagreement the societies of some Lithuania and Latvia successful carrying retired specified attacks and spot unit connected authorities to halt their enactment to Ukraine.

They would look apprehension successful what is being treated arsenic an enactment of terrorism.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk weighed successful connected the incident, posting connected X that Lithuania's probe "confirmed our suspicions that liable for mounting fires to buying centres successful Vilnius and Warsaw are the Russian concealed services."

Last year, Tusk had namechecked the Ikea incidental successful Vilnius erstwhile Polish authorities arrested 9 members of an alleged Russian spy ringing successful May.

Tusk told broadcaster TVN24 that the suspects "have been straight implicated successful the sanction of Russian (intelligence) services successful acts of sabotage successful Poland," adding the individuals were Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish nationals.

Alongside the blaze successful the Vilnius buying centre, Tusk mentioned an effort to acceptable occurrence to a overgarment mill successful the occidental Polish metropolis of Wrocław.