Lithuania Blames Russian Intelligence for Ikea Store Arson

Prosecutors in Lithuania have linked the GRU, Russia's military intelligence, to a fire at an Ikea store in Vilnius, resulting in two Ukrainian teenagers being arrested. This incident adds to growing concerns about Russian sabotage activities in Europe amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Lithuanian authorities are making headlines as prosecutors have pointed to Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU, in connection with an arson attack that occurred last year at an Ikea store in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Two teenage suspects from Ukraine were apprehended, one in Lithuania and the other in Poland, causing prosecutor Arturas Urbelis to label the incident as "an act of terrorism."

The investigation unveiled intermediaries linking the attack to Russian military and security services, prompting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to assert that Lithuania provided confirmation of suspicions surrounding Russian secret services' involvement in setting fires at shopping centers across Vilnius and Warsaw. "It’s important to know before negotiations. This is the essence of this state," he remarked on X.

The allegations of Russian involvement are not isolated; previous instances of parcel fires aimed at courier companies across Europe last July led to similar accusations against the Kremlin. Security analysts characterize these events as part of a coordinated "hybrid warfare" tactic intended to destabilize European support for Ukraine as it defends against Russia's continuing invasion that began in February 2022.

While the Ikea attack last May resulted in no casualties, it mirrored another similar arson incident at a major mall in Warsaw, Poland. Prosecutor Urbelis revealed that the suspects had a clandestine meeting in Warsaw where they planned multiple attacks on shops in Lithuania and Latvia, motivated by a promise of €10,000 ($11,000; £8,400) and a BMW in return for their actions.