Russian spies set fire to Lithuanian Ikea store because ‘colours are same as Ukraine flag’

Russian agents acceptable occurrence to a immense Ikea store due to the fact that ‘the colours are aforesaid arsenic Ukraine flag’, Lithuanian prosecutors person alleged.

The Kremlin’s subject quality has been accused of orchestrating an arson onslaught connected the store successful Vilnius successful May 2024, which volition present beryllium tried arsenic an enactment of terror.

The occurrence broke retired successful the store successful Lithuania’s superior 3 days earlier a buying centre successful neighbouring Poland went up successful flames. The authorities determination said they suspected it whitethorn person been portion of a increasing Russian sabotage campaign, noting that the Swedish flat-pack furnishings concatenation utilized the aforesaid colours arsenic the Ukrainian flag.

“Ikea’s colours are the aforesaid arsenic Ukraine’s emblem – this has beardown symbolic meaning,” said Arturas Urbelis, of the Lithuanian authoritative general’s office, adding that the store was not chosen astatine random.

Investigators recovered that the Ikea occurrence was linked to Russian subject quality done a concatenation of much than 20 intermediaries

“The concatenation includes the organisers, past much organisers for definite goals, past much intermediaries, each down to the perpetrators. It is simply a multi-stage, precise analyzable system,” Mr Urbelis told reporters.

Shopping centre destroyed

Both suspects held successful pre-trial detention are Ukrainians nether the property of 20. They were allegedly rewarded for the onslaught with a BMW car and the committedness of €10,000 (£8,400).

Another suspected arson onslaught destroyed the Polish superior Warsaw’s largest buying centre Marywilska 44 successful May 2024, destroying 1,400 commercialized units.

Donald Tusk, the Polish premier minister, called the allegations “in enactment with our suspicions” and “exceptional treachery”. He compared the attacks to an attempted arson astatine a overgarment mill successful Wroclaw wherever “the Russians hired Ukrainian citizens”.

Lithuanian prosecutors are transferring portion of the lawsuit to their Polish counterparts. Last week Poland charged a Belarusian nationalist named lone arsenic Stepan K nether its privateness instrumentality with carrying retired a violent arson onslaught successful Warsaw connected behalf of Russia.

Russia denies carrying retired sabotage attacks and says the West is stoking hostile feeling by blaming Moscow for each incident.